'Backlash' as Democrats pull ahead in Trump election ploy after a series of GOP flubs
10h
President Donald Trump called on Texas to do an off-year redistricting effort to try and redraw congressional district lines to ensure Republicans could stand a chance at keeping a GOP majority. The effort has since faltered, and as it stands, Democrats are winning Trump's battle.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that "so far, Trump is losing. Democrats, who once thought they would come up short in a gerrymandering war, are on track to net an estimated five seats. And while that could shift, they may still end up with an advantage by the time state legislators, voters and courts finish weighing in."
After a judge shot down the Texas maps and Indiana refused to redraw its lines to eliminate the two Democratic seats, Trump appears to have picked a fight that could make his life worse. Meanwhile, another judge ruled that Utah's maps must add a likely Democratic seat to its delegation. The latter battle began in 2018, the Campaign Legal Center noted.
Texas will appeal to the Supreme Court and Florida intends to redraw its lines, which could offset the losses of the Texas seats. As it stands now, however, Democrats are ahead.
As NPR reported, "When the Supreme Court would release its decision is crucial. Time is running out to redo maps, which have to be finalized ahead of a state's filing deadline for candidates seeking to run in a primary election for the midterms."
The Texas deadline is Dec. 8, 2025.
"The string of losses is beginning to create a backlash from Trump’s allies, who want the party to focus on campaigning instead of trying to engineer new districts," the Washington Post reported.
The GOP majority in the House currently stands at 219-214. So, a slight shift could change the face of the House.
“They started this redistricting fight,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday, the Post quoted. “We will end it.”