Trump campaign asks Supreme Court to review Wisconsin challenge

President Trump’s reelection campaign on Tuesday challenged the results of the presidential election in Wisconsin, filing a petition to the Supreme Court asking it to review about 50,000 absentee ballots in the state.

President-elect Joe Biden won Wisconsin by more than 20,000 votes over Trump, and the Electoral College earlier this month affirmed the former vice president’s victory by more than 70 electoral votes.

But Trump has refused to concede and has continued to make various legal challenges to the results in Wisconsin and a handful of other states, to losing results so far.

In this case, Trump’s campaign is contesting a decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court earlier this month that ruled against the president. 

Conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn ruled against Trump in the 4-3 decision, siding with three liberal justices on the state court that the challenge was filed too late and was unreasonable.  

The challenge comes roughly one week before Congress meets to review the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6.

The Supreme Court has rejected two challenges to the election from the Trump campaign so far.

Separately, Trump is pressuring Republicans to go along with an effort from Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) to object to the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6.

Senate GOP leaders have reacted cooly to that effort and have pressed their members not to back Brooks. One GOP senator would have to join Brooks to trigger a debate and a vote. Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) has suggested he would join.

Even then, the effort would not have the votes to succeed given opposition from Democrats in both chambers and some Republicans.