Dem AG Josh Kaul said he’s ready to challenge the incoming Trump administration if it seeks to improperly divert federal funds to the president-elect’s immigration priorities, tries to end birthright citizenship or restricts access to abortion drugs.
In a WisPolitics year-end interview, Kaul vowed to take legal action to protect the constitutional rights and interests of Wisconsinites if he believes either would be harmed by Donald Trump’s actions.
During his first administration, Trump sought to divert more than $3.5 billion in federal funds to pay for a border wall, leading to a legal challenge. Likewise, Kaul said if Trump sought to redirect money designated or national security or law enforcement, the AG would seek to intervene.
Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to end birthright citizenship. But Kaul said that language is in the U.S. Constitution and any effort to alter that would be met with a legal challenge.
“Protecting our constitutional rights is, I think, an important part of what I and other AGs do,” Kaul told WisPolitics.
The AG raised concerns that Trump’s calls for mass deportations could lead to some people being detained inappropriately and that such efforts could damage the state’s agricultural industry.
Asked if those in the U.S. without documentation who commit crimes should be deported, Kaul said his approach as AG is about what’s in the best interests of public safety for Wisconsin and there’s no “sort of rigid rule about any approach.”
“They should be based around how we use the resources we have in a way that best serves public safety,” Kaul said.
Kaul also:
- continued to make his case for additional positions and funding dedicated to the state’s crime labs. Kaul’s budget seeks $104.7 million in new general purpose revenue two years after lawmakers approved a $6.2 million boost for his agency. Of the new money requested, $66.2 million would go toward victim service providers to backfill a loss in federal money for those services. It also includes a request for 19 new positions at the state crime labs, with 10 of those DNA analysts. In the 2023-25 budget, he sought 16, but the Legislature approved three. GOP lawmakers have been critical of DOJ for the labs’ turnaround times on samples, including after a Legislative Audit Bureau report this summer and Kaul’s own report last month that found, for example, the median turnaround time for DNA samples was up to 94 days from 61 the year before. But Kaul argued the LAB’s recommendations wouldn’t have made a significant impact on the labs’ operations. “To me that says the labs are operating efficiently and what we need, which is what we’ve asked for repeatedly, is additional resources in the lab,” he said.
- said he didn’t register the domains kaulforgovernor.com or joshkaulforgovernor.com. Both were registered last week, and a website that tracks them listed the registrants as “redacted for privacy.” The AG, now midway through his second term, is considered a possible candidate for guv in 2026 if fellow Dem Tony Evers decides against seeking reelection. Kaul, though, demurred when asked about his political future, saying he’s focused on responsibilities. “Continuing to make sure that we are protecting public safety and consumers and people’s rights is where my focus is,” Kaul said.
