Daniel Wolfram
This is a huge setback for Republicans and Trump’s hopes of becoming a lame-duck president after the election in November.
Donald Trump is trying different controversial approaches to maintain the majority in both Houses of Congress.
There are still attempts to restrict mail-in voting and to change the way the United States Postal Service (USPS) will handle these votes.
There have also been successful attempts by Trump to instruct various Republican leaders in swing states to redraw maps to try to gain more votes for the GOP in November. However, Trump just lost a major battle in the Midwest, and he is incensed about the decision on Truth Social.
A surprise ruling
In a unanimous ruling, the Missouri Supreme Court blocked a new congressional map backed by Donald Trump. The judges ruled that the newly redrawn maps that were intended to help Republicans gain more seats in Congress this coming November cannot be used.
The decision is a rare but potentially big loss for Trump’s hopes of maintaining the majority in the United States Congress.
Instead, elections in the Show-Me State will rely on the previous map from the 2020 Census.
Since the map was redrawn without a chance for the people in Missouri to vote on it, over 300,000 citizens signed a petition to block the new map before Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected their petition. In the end, the judges shut him down after an appeal.
Voters take control
“The referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise,” the court stated in its ruling, according to The Guardian.
The judges added that the legislation “did not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters.”
The new map was gerrymandered by Republicans and heavily favored the party’s politicians as well. For example, parts of the map were drawn in a way that the Democratic majority in Kansas City would include eastern rural counties that historically vote red.
Trump is fuming
Last year, Donald Trump spearheaded a push for some states to redraw their maps so there would be a better chance of Republican victories in close battleground states and even counties around Democratic strongholds.
It is safe to say that he is not happy with the Supreme Court ruling. Last night, he took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to voice his discontent.
“The Missouri Supreme Court just ridiculously ruled in favor of changing the maps back to what they were a long time ago. It’s called Ancient History! […] This is a Dark Day for “Justice” in Missouri! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
