New York Retaliates Against Texas Republicans' Mid-Decade Redistricting Plan
Gov. Kathy Hochul and other state leaders said they would begin the process of redistricting in New York to benefit Democrats in response to Texas Republicans' plans to alter that state's congressional map ahead of schedule to create more GOP seats.
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NBC News
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- NBC News
Some swing district Republicans object to Texas redistricting plan as Democrats threaten to retaliate
WASHINGTON — Some Republicans representing competitive districts in blue states are speaking out against their party's push to redraw congressional lines in Texas in an attempt give the GOP up to five more House seats. Reps. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., have called to impose nationwide limits on partisan gerrymandering, a rare move for Republicans in Washington who have thwarted proposed bans for years. The new pushback comes as Democratic governors like California's Gavin Newsom and New York's Kathy Hochul threaten to retaliate against Texas by pursuing their own redistricting plans that could knock out GOP-held swing districts, like those represented by Lawler and Kiley. Kiley announced he will introduce legislation on Tuesday to nullify new House maps adopted by states before the 2030 Census, including any that may be approved this year. That would block the ongoing Texas effort and any potential push in California, his office said. 'Gavin Newsom is trying to subvert the will of voters and do lasting damage to democracy in California,' Kiley said in a statement Monday. 'Fortunately, Congress has the ability to protect California voters using its authority under the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution. This will also stop a damaging redistricting war from breaking out across the country.' Lawler, a fellow second-term Republican who sits in a swing district, also said he will introduce legislation to prohibit gerrymandering in every state. 'Gerrymandering is wrong and should be banned everywhere — including in New York, Texas, California, and Illinois. I'm introducing legislation to ban it,' Lawler said Monday on X, inviting Democrats to sign on. Still, it's unlikely that House Republican leaders would allow a vote on any legislation to limit partisan redistricting. That would represent an about-face from the party's longstanding view that Washington shouldn't impose any such limits on states. Speaker Mike Johnson's office didn't immediately comment on the idea. Speaking to reporters recently in the Capitol, Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., chair of House Republicans' campaign operation this cycle, kept his distance from the Texas push and wouldn't say whether he supports it. 'Well, it's up to the states. I mean, I have nothing to do with it. I found out about it when you all wrote about it,' Hudson said. When asked if he's worried about California retaliating, Hudson replied: 'I'm not concerned. Some of the states, they can do what they want to do.' Newsom has mounted an aggressive push in recent days, on podcasts and social media, to build support for doing away with California's redistricting commission and allowing the state's supermajority-Democratic legislature to draw its own maps for U.S. House districts. He even reposted one user's hypothetical suggestion for creating an extremely gerrymandered map with 52 Democratic-friendly seats, which would knock out all nine Republicans currently representing California, including Kiley. And Democrats in Washington have tried to pass legislation to prohibit partisan gerrymandering, including in recent years under President Joe Biden. A section of the sweeping 'For The People Act' of 2021 would have required all states to set up independent redistricting commissions with balanced partisan representation. Democrats passed it in the House on party lines during the Biden administration, but a different version of the bill failed to overcome a Senate GOP filibuster. Fighting to win back the majority and become speaker, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has turned his focus to combatting the GOP's efforts in Texas in recent weeks. On Capitol Hill, Jeffries privately met with members of the California congressional delegation to discuss options for responding to Texas Republicans, a Democratic lawmaker said. Last week, Jeffries traveled to the Texas state Capitol in Austin to meet with Democrats in both the Texas congressional delegation and statehouse to draw attention to the matter. The leader said the Texas special legislative session should have focused on fixing the state's broken energy grid and 'relief, recovery and resiliency' in the wake of deadly floods in the Hill Country. 'Donald Trump has ordered Greg Abbott and compliant Texas Republicans to race back to Austin have a special session in order to rig the congressional map and undermine the ability of Texans to have a free and fair midterm election. That is wrong,' Jeffries said at a news conference, flanked by Democrats. 'It's an all-hands-on-deck moment, and all options should be on the table to protect the people of Texas,' he continued. 'We will fight them politically. We will fight them governmentally. We will fight them in court. We will fight them in terms of winning the hearts and minds of the people of Texas and beyond.' Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said that if the redistricting tactic is used by Republicans, Democrats must fight with the same firepower. 'I hate what Texas is doing. But if they're going to do it, of course we have to fight back,' Murphy told NBC News. 'Democracies die when the regime plays outside the box and the opposition decides to stay inside the box. So as norms change, we can't just cry about it complain about it. We've got to fight fire with fire.' Another Democrat, Rep. Mark Takano of California, who is slated to become chairman again of the Veterans' Affairs Committee if his party take back the House next year, said he's confident California voters would have Democrats' backs if they pursue mid-decade redistricting. 'The voters of California are pretty clear that ... not just California but the future of our country is harmed by Donald Trump not having any checks put on him,' Takano said. 'I think California is very interested in seeing a check being put on Donald Trump's power; he's voracious. He doesn't see any limits to himself. It's all very personal to him, and it's, frankly, just corrupt.'
Fox News
a few seconds ago
- Fox News
WATCH LIVE: Ramaswamy hosts Cincinnati town hall after viral downtown beating
Ohio GOP gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy hosts a community forum in the Riverside neighborhood to propose public safety solutions in the wake of a brutal downtown Cincinnati beating.
Newsweek
a few seconds ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump's Approval Rating Takes a Dive in New Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's approval rating has dropped 6 points since April, a new poll by the University of Massachusetts Amherst shows. Why It Matters Trump has routinely touted positive approval ratings and polling. Declines in these numbers could hinder his political clout in an already highly polarized climate as the 2026 midterms approach. When Trump returned to the White House in January, he coasted in with high approval figures. But after months marked by economic uncertainty and criticism that his administration has faced over policies like his handling of immigration and his recent tax bill, Trump has seen a dip. The up-and-down nature of approval polls can paint a picture of the landscape heading into the 2026 elections, where Democrats hope to regain control of the House and the Senate. What To Know In the poll released over the weekend, Trump has a 38 percent approval rating versus a 58 percent disapproval rating. The poll was taken from July 25 to July 30 among 1,000 people with a 3.5 percent margin of error. A poll by the University of Massachusetts Amherst in April showed the president with an approval rating of 44 percent and a disapproval rating of 51 percent. Trump also landed lower numbers on key policy issues, including immigration and civil rights, in the latest poll. The president had slightly lower numbers on jobs and inflation, but within the margin of error. A recent Gallup poll also showed Trump had a 37 percent approval rating, the lowest of his second term and approaching his 34 percent rating just before leaving office at the end of his first term in January 2025, following the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on August 3, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on August 3, People Are Saying Robert Y. Shapiro, a professor of political science at Columbia University, told Newsweek: "This is not a stunning drop and reflect that Trump has been facing more bad news than good news concerning inflation, ICE's going after undocumented immigrants who have not committed crimes and are holding jobs and have been stable members of their communities, the anticipated further inflation stemming from tariffs, and the parts of his 'big, beautiful, bill' that involves pending cuts in Medicaid and food assistance, while lowering taxes that benefit the wealthy most." Shapiro added that, "The continuation of the Epstein scandal just adds to this, and could even affect support of a small portion of Trump's base." UMass Amherst on X on Monday: "A new UMass Amherst Poll finds President Trump's net job approval has dropped to -20 six months into his term, while his approval rating on immigration has fallen 9 points since April." Fox News host Jessica Tarlov on X on Monday: "Donald Trump's approval rating on inflation in the latest Fox News poll is 36%. Tariffs are driving up costs and the American people are angry. There's no sugar coating that, no matter how some may try." President Donald Trump on Truth Social over the weekend: "THE DEMOCRATS ARE EXTORTIONISTS WHO ALMOST DESTROYED OUR COUNTRY. NOW WE ARE BACK, AND THE USA IS THE 'HOTTEST' COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!" What Happens Next The impact of these consistently low approval ratings will be closely watched as the nation enters the 2026 midterm election cycle. With broad disapproval of policies on the economy, immigration, and living costs, Democrats may see a possible opening, but have yet to translate this into a decisive lead as the party regroups after the 2024 election loss. The coming months may determine whether Trump's approval ratings rebound or continue to signal difficulties for Republicans heading into what is expected to be a highly competitive set of midterm elections.
