CNN Data Chief Has 1 ‘Big Lesson’ About Elon Musk After Wisconsin Loss

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten on Wednesday argued that billionaire Elon Musk’s visit to Wisconsin wasn’t particularly helpful to Republicans seeking a victory in the state’s Supreme Court race this week.

“Elon Musk, simply put, is an unpopular guy. He is political poison,” Enten stressed.

Enten said that Musk’s visit “may have backfired” for Republicans, advising GOP candidates running in swing states to not let the billionaire “anywhere near” them. He added that Musk’s net favorability rating is at -12 points in Wisconsin (compared to -17 points, his national net favorability rating).

“So if there’s one big lesson to take away from Wisconsin is Elon Musk does not help Republicans when he shows up. If anything, the data suggests that he hurts them,” Enten told CNN’s John Berman.

“Republicans, stay clear of Elon Musk if you want to win in a swing state, at least in terms of his physical appearance in your state.”

Musk backed political groups that spent over $20 million to support conservative candidate Judge Brad Schimel in the race against liberal candidate Judge Susan Crawford, who ultimately won on Tuesday.

At a rally for Schimel on Sunday, Musk leaped into the air and donned a cheesehead ― headwear typically sported by fans of the Green Bay Packers ― while also handing out two $1 million checks to voters.

Musk, whose cost-cutting push under President Donald Trump has led to massive backlash — including tumbling sales at his company Tesla — has since claimed that he “expected” the loss in Wisconsin.

“But there is value to losing a piece for a positional gain,” he added in a post to X, formerly Twitter.

H/T: Mediaite