"I am gonna sign the hat, I am gonna throw it out" — Elon Musk dons cheesehead hat at Wisconsin rally, hands out $1 million checks to two voters

Tesla owner Elon Musk greeted a crowd of nearly 2,000 people at a rally in Wisconsin on March 30, 2025, just two days before the Wisconsin Supreme Court election scheduled for April 1. The tech billionaire took the stage wearing a Cheesehead hat, which he signed and tossed into the audience before beginning his speech.

For those unfamiliar, "Cheesehead" is a nickname for people from Wisconsin, as well as for anyone who is a fan of the Green Bay Packers. The nickname, which originated because Wisconsin leads the United States in dairy production, started as a derogatory term. However, it was soon embraced by locals, transforming it into a memorable nickname.

At the rally on March 30, Elon Musk stepped onto the stage to applause from the nearly 2,000-person crowd. He expressed his gratitude for their presence before signing the hat and throwing it into the audience.

"Hey, everybody! Thanks for coming. What do you think of my hat? Alright, I am gonna sign the hat, I am gonna throw it out," Musk said.

He also gave two Wisconsin voters $1 million checks each, declaring them the spokespeople for his political group, America PAC. Earlier that day, Wisconsin Democrat Attorney General Josh Kaul tried to stop Musk from distributing the checks, arguing that it violated state law in a filing to the Supreme Court.

“Wisconsin law prohibits offering anything of value to induce anyone to vote. Yet, Elon Musk did just that,” Kaul wrote in the filing.

The Supreme Court chose not to take the case; however, it did not offer any rationale for its decision.

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"It's a super big deal" — Elon Musk about the upcoming Supreme Court election

During his Wisconsin rally on March 30, Elon Musk referred to the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court election as "a big deal," emphasizing its importance to President Donald Trump's agenda concerning the "future of civilization."

"It's a super big deal. I'm not phoning it in — I'm here in person," he said.

"What's happening on Tuesday is a vote for which party controls the US House of Representatives. And whichever party controls the House ... to a significant degree, controls the country, which then steers the course of Western civilization. So it's like, I feel like this is one of those things that may not seem that it's going to affect the entire destiny of humanity, but I think it will."

Elon Musk has reportedly spent $20 million to fund conservative candidate Brad Schimel against Democratic candidate Susan Crawford. According to AP News, the election's outcome will likely determine the "ideological makeup" of the court that will decide major issues in a "perennial battleground state."

For context, Wisconsin is viewed as a primary battleground or swing state, meaning the number of Democratic and Republican voters are roughly equal. Consequently, the state plays a crucial role in determining the direction of votes in elections.

During his speech, Musk stated that if Democratic candidate Susan Crawford were to win, it might enable the Supreme Court to "gerrymander the district" and "deprive" Wisconsin of two seats on the "Republican side."

“And if the (Wisconsin) Supreme Court is able to redraw the districts, they will gerrymander the district and deprive Wisconsin of two seats on the Republican side. Then they will try to stop all the government reforms we are getting done for you, the American people,” Elon Musk said.

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In other news, Elon Musk is facing increasing criticism for his role in the government after being appointed head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has led to significant stock drops for Tesla. Furthermore, several Tesla dealerships and vehicles have been vandalized in protest against Musk.

On March 24, the FBI announced the establishment of a task force to investigate the violence against the electric car company, labeling the vandalism and arson as acts of "domestic terrorism."