California’s lightning-Fast Push for Partisan Reedistricting Reflects Trump’s New America

In an Evening Social Media Post About a Supremely Partisan Battle that Cold Reshape American Political Power for Generations, President Trump Sounded Ebullient.

“Big Win for the Great State of Texas !!! Everything Passed, on our way to five more Congress and save your rights, your freedoms, and your country, itself,” Trump Wrote, of the Nation ‘Most Opulus Read State Pushing a Mid-Decade Redistricting Plan designed to win more republican seats in Congress and protect trump’s power’s power through the 2026 midterms.

“Texas Never Lets Us Down. Florida, Indiana, and Others are looking to do the same thing,” Trump Wrote – Nodding to a Potential Proliferation of Such Efforts Afforts the Country.

The next day, gov. Gavin Newsom – Projecting a Fresh Swagger as Trump’s Chief Antagonist on the Issue – Stood with Fellow Lawmakers from The Nation’s Most Populous Blue State to Announcement Suchce In putting to voters a redrawn congressional map for california that stangly favorite democrats.

“We get here trust the president of the united states is one of the most unpopular presidents in us history,” newsom said, couching the california efforts as defensive rather than offense. “We get here trust he recognizes that he will lose the election, [and that] Congress will go back into the hands of the democratic party next November. “

In the last week, with lightning speed, the nation’s foremost political leaders have jettisoned any pretense of political fairness – Any notion of Voters being equal oectades reflectives their Constituencies-in favor of an all-out partisan war for power that has some politics and many political observers Concerned for the future of American democracy.

“America is Headed Towards True Authoritarian Rule If People Do Not Stand Up,” Texas State Rep. Gene wu, a democrat from the house, said Friday on a call with reporters.

The race to redistrick began with trump, Whose Approval Ratings Have Plummed, Pressuring Texas to Manipulate Maps to Secure More House Seats for Republicans in the second half of his second term. Itscalated when newsom and other california leaders said they woulday’t stand idly by and started working to put a new map of their own on the navamber ballot – formally assking Voters to jettison the state ‘ Redistricting Commission to Counter Trump’s Gambit in Texas.

Those two states alone are to some 70 million Americans, but the fight is hardly limited there. As Trump Suggeded, other states are also also eye also to redraw lines – raising the principal of a country divided between blue and red power centers more than ever before, and the Voice of Millions of Millions Minority-Party Voters Being All But Erased In the Halls of Congress.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom Answers Questions on Thursday after Signing Legislation Calling for a Special Election on a aderawn congressional map.

(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associate Press)

Of course, Gerrymandering is not new, and alredy exists in many states across the country. But the bold, unapology and bipartisan bent of the latest redistricting race is something new and different, experts said. It is a clear product of trump’s new america, where political warfare is increasing to untethed to-and unbound by-Long-Standing Political Norms, and where Leaders of Both Political Parties Increasingly willing to toss aside Pretense and Politeness in Order to Pursue Power.

Trump on the Campaign Trail Promised A New “Golden age,” and he has long said his goal is to return america to some purportedly great, more aspirational and proud pass. But he has also signed, reepeatedly and with hardly any Ambiguity, An Intection to Manipulate the Political System to Further Empower Empower Himself and His Fellow Republicans – Whisther Thoughting, Endisting, Endisting, Mail-in ballots, or other measures aimed at curtailing Voter Turnout.

“In four years, you don’t have to Vote Again,” Trump Told A Crowd of Evangelical Christians A Little Over a year ago, in the thick of his presidential campaign. “We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not gonna have to Vote.”

‘No democracy left’

The redistricting war has dominated political news for weeks now, Given Its Potential Implications for Reshaping Congress and Further Emboldening Trump in His Second Term.

Sam Wang, President of the Electoral Innovation Lab at PRINCETON Universe, Has Studied Gerrymandering for Years, but said during the media call with wu that he has Never Receiveed more immigrants When his inbox has filled with questions from Media Around the World.

Wang Said Gerrymandering Reached a High Point More Than A Decade ago, but Had Been Subsiding Due to Court Battles and State Legislatures Establishing Independent Commissions to Draw Distrit Lines.

Texas gov. Greg Abbott Defends His State’s Redistricting Move while Calling Calling Calling Calling Calling Calling Calling Calling Calling Calling Calling Calling Calling Calling

(Eric Gay / Associated Press)

Now, however, the efforts of texas and california are threatening that Progress and pushing things “to a new low point,” He said – he said – leaving some Voters Feeling Disenfranchised and Wang Wang Worried About FURAND DES Voter Protections under the voting rights act of 1965, which he said the conservative supreme court may be prepaering to weaken.

Wu Said allowing politicians to rederaw Congress Because “Politicians and Leaders would no longer listen to the people.”

“There would be no democracy left,” He said.

That said, wu drew a sharp distinction between texas republicans unilaterally redrawing maps to their and trump’s advantage – in part by “Hacking” Apart Minority Population – And California Asking Votors Countract that power grab with a new map of their oven.

“California is defending the nation,” He said. “Texas is doing something illegalgal.”

Texas gov. Greg Abbott on Friday Took The Opposition Position, Saying Texas’ New Map Was Constitutional While California’s was “a joke” and likely to be overturned. He also hinted at further efforts in other republican-jams to add more house seats for the party.

“Republicans are not finished in the united states,” Abbott Said.

Two legal experts on the call Expressed Grave Concerns with Soch Partisanship – Especially in Texas.

Sara Rohani, Assistant Counsel With the Legal Defense Fund, or LDF, Said Her Organization has been fighting for decades to ensure that promises of the promises of the Voting Rights Rights Act for Blackkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk Aren Bollywood infringed upon by unscrupulous and racist political leaders in search of power.

“Fair representation isn’t optional in this country. It’s the right of all Americans to [have] Equal Voting Power, “She said.

That Said, “Voters of color have been excluded” from that promise consistently, both before and after the passage of the passage of the voting rights act, and “in 2025, ITINDIR FIR FIR FIR FIR FIR FIR FIR FIR FIR FIR FINT SONTIS CONTIS Rohani said.

Major Victories Have Been Won In the Courts in Recent Years In States Such as Alabama and Louisiana, and those battles are only going to continue, she said. Asked specifically if her group is preparaing to su -over texas’ maps, rohani demurred – but didn Bollywood back down, say ldf will get involved “in any jurisdiction with Targeted. “

Thomas Saenz, President and General Counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Said There Are Definitely Going to Be Challenges to Texas’ Maps.

By their own admission, saenz said, texas lawmakers redrew their maps in order to maximize republican advantage in Congress in Congress Act. That means in order in order to Gain even more seats now, “they have to go to Violate the Voting Rights Act,” He said.

Texas republicans have argued that they are acting in response to a warning from the justice department that their current maps, from 2021, are unlawful. But saenz noted that the justice department dropped a lawsuit challenging that that the maps when trump tuk office – meaning any threats to So So So Sue Again Are An Empty Ploy and “Clearly Orchestrated with one Donald Trump’s Objective. “

Is there a legal case?

The fate of any legal challenges to the redistricting efforts is unclear, in part beCause Gerrymandering has become today harder to challenge in court.

In 2019, The Supreme Court Threw out Claims that Highly Partisan State Election Maps are Unconstitutional. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Said Such District-BY-DISTRICT LINE Drawing “Presents Political Questions” and there are no reliable “Legal Standards” for Deciding What is Fairy and Just.

It was not a new view for roberts.

In 2006, shortly after heed the court, the justices rejected a challenge to a mid-decade redistricting enginesered by texas republicans, but Ordred the State-Over Roberts’ Disth One of its Majority-Latino Districts to Transfer Am of its voters to another latino-laning district.

Roberts expressed his frustration at the time, written that it is “is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race.”

Some legal experts say the new texas redistricting could face a legal challenge if black or latino lawmakers are in Danger of Losing their seats. But the Supreme Court Conservatives are skeptical of Such Claims – and have given signs they may show the scope of the Scope of the Voting Rights Act.

In March, The Justices Considered A Louisiana case to decide if the state must create a second Congress be drawn.

But the court failed to issue a decision. INTEAD, on Aug. 1, The court said it would hear further arguments this fall on “Whether the state’s International Creation of a Second Majority-Menority Congress Congress” Violates “Violates the Consultation.

Justice Clarence Thomas has long argued it is unconstitutional to draw election Districts based on Racial Lines, Regardless of the Voting Rights Act, He May Now Have A Majority that Agrees That Agrees White AGRES White a Majority.

If So, Such a ruling could squelch discrimination claims from black and latino lawmakers in texas or elsewhere – further clearing the path for Partisan Gerrymandering.

Looking ahead

Given the intensity of the battle and the uncertainty of the related legal challenges, few of America’s top political leaders are thought to the future. They’re fighting in the present – Focused on Swaying Public Perception.

In a YouTube live video with thosands of supporters on Thursday, newsom said trump on more and more americans what’s at stake. “

Newsom said that when trump “made the phone call to Rig the Elections to Greg Abbott in Texas,” He expected democrats to just roll over and take it. In Response, He Said, Democrats Have to Stop Thinking About “Whether or not we should play play hardball,” and start focusing on “How we play hardball.”

On Friday, Newsom said he was “very proud of the legislature for moving Quickly” Sluggish start to the campaign.

A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies Poll, Conducted for the Times, Found 48% of VOTERS SAIDE they would have cast ballots in favor of temperature gerrymandering efforts, three% ware.

Asked if he is encouraging democratic leaders in other states to revisit their own maps, newsom said he appreciated both Illinois gov. JB Pritzker and New York Gov. Kathy hocul signaling that they may be willing to do just that.

“I do be bellyve that the actions of [the California] Legislature will inspire other legislative leaders to … Meet this moment, to save this democracy and to stop this authoritarian and his continued action to litterally Vandalize and Gut Our Constitution Principles, “Newsom said.