Newsom warns Trump in heated letter he's ‘playing with fire' on redistricting
'If you will not stand down, I will be forced to lead an effort to redraw the maps in California to offset the rigging of maps in red states,' he said. 'But if the other states call off their redistricting efforts, we will happily do the same. And American democracy will be better for it.'
Newsom's latest play comes as the drama around redistricting heightened over the weekend. Democratic leaders in other blue states argued on Sunday morning political shows that they were ready to battle head-to-head over the congressional district maps, which are normally tied to the census taken once a decade.
'Donald Trump is a cheater. He cheats on his wives, he cheats at golf, and now he's trying to cheat the American people out of their votes,' said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on 'Meet the Press' Sunday.
Newsom has been at center stage in this national political fight that could determine the outcome of the midterm elections and, by default, the strength of the president's power. The Republican-led Congress handed Trump 'the big beautiful bill' that will supercharge immigration enforcement — his signature issue. And it has been deferential to his whims, but the Republican Party losing control of the House and Senate would be a major blow to his agenda.
The national political fight is gearing up with much at stake for both parties. Last week, Newsom hosted Texas Democrats who — under threat of arrest and daily $500 fines — had left the state in a bid to prevent their Legislature from altering the congressional maps. And he vowed to 'nullify' what happens in Texas.
'You are playing with fire, risking the destabilization of our democracy, while knowing that California can neutralize any gains you hope to make,' he told Trump in the letter. 'This attempt to rig congressional maps to hold onto power before a single vote is cast in the 2026 election is an affront to American democracy.'
Trump has been pushing the Texas GOP to redraw congressional district maps, saying they are 'entitled' to five seats. And he argued on CNBC last week that California was 'gerrymandered,' pointing out the congressional delegation didn't match the presidential vote results.
But, unlike some states, California has an independent redistricting committee.
On Friday, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung called Newsom 'a loser of the highest order' who would 'never be president no matter how hard he prostitutes himself to the press.'
The California's redistricting plan may be a risky gambit.
The plan calls for the state Legislature to approve a constitutional amendment establishing new congressional voting districts crafted to make GOP members vulnerable. The bill would create a Nov. 4 special election in which voters would decide whether to temporarily pause congressional boundaries created by an independent redistricting commission in 2021 and adopt new maps for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections.
If approved by voters, the measure would include a 'trigger' specifying that it would take effect only if Texas or other Republican-led states followed through with redrawing their maps to boost GOP seats before the midterm election. California would revert to its existing redistricting law after the next census and before the 2032 election.
Times staff writers Taryn Luna and Seema Mehta contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
25 minutes ago
- CNN
California GOP lawmaker faces taunts and jeers over Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill' at town halls
Donald Trump Congressional news TariffsFacebookTweetLink Follow GOP Rep. Doug LaMalfa drew taunts and jeers at two raucous town hall meetings Monday over his support for President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' LaMalfa, whose district spans much of the state's northern interior, is the latest Republican to face harsh in-person criticism, as members of the party attempt to sell Trump's sweeping agenda back home during Congress' August break from Washington. Last week, Nebraska Rep. Mike Flood – who also heeded the guidance of the NRCC, the House GOP's campaign arm, to focus the district work period on the president's massive domestic policy bill – met a largely hostile crowd as he was pressed on a range of issues, including the agenda bill that Trump signed into law July 4. LaMalfa calmly address audience members throughout both town halls, even as some attendees cursed at him and railed against his support of the president, shouting 'Liar!' While the morning crowd in Chico had been much louder, the audience in Red Bluff later in the evening was at times just as vocal, especially when LaMalfa expressed skepticism about the role of carbon dioxide in climate change. At both town halls, LaMalfa was pressed over how Trump's agenda, which includes historic cuts to federal support for the social safety net, would affect rural hospitals, particularly those in his district. Other attendees asked questions about transparency around the so-called Jeffrey Epstein files. At the morning event, LaMalfa called it a 'bad look' to have Epstein-related information continue to be 'suppressed.' Still other attendees warned the president's tariffs would harm farmers in California and attacked the congressman's credibility. 'If you're not here to either announce your resignation, why aren't you here to apologize to the farmers of the north state because of your support for the Trump tariffs?' one audience members said at the Chico town hall. 'I'm not gonna do either. Thanks,' LaMalfa replied. 'Do you actually want to talk about something productive?' LaMalfa defended Trump's tariffs, insisting that the United States had been taken advantage of and that the tariffs were being used to negotiate better deals for American farmers. 'And you know, is it the ideal, perfect way to go? No, I hope these tariffs can end soon,' he said Monday evening. 'I want to believe at some point we'lll end up with very low or zero tariffs with all these countries.' LaMalfa also addressed Texas' redistricting effort, warning it is going to start 'a grass fire all across the country.' His comments come as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has urged lawmakers to draw a new map to put before voters in a November special election. The map, as CNN previously reported, could flip five of Republicans' nine seats in the state if voters approve it in a ballot initiative and could potentially target LaMalfa's seat. For his part, LaMalfa said he didn't support either redistricting push. 'It's really ugly and no matter which side of the aisle you're on, it doesn't look good. It doesn't give you more faith in the political process if legislators draw the lines merely to have an outcome for a partisan win,' the congressman said.
The Hill
26 minutes ago
- The Hill
South Korean President Lee will travel to Washington for Aug. 25 meeting with Trump
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's new President Lee Jae Myung will travel to Washington later this month to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, Lee's office said Tuesday, for talks on trade and defense cooperation in the face of nuclear-armed North Korea and other threats. Their Aug. 25 summit will follow a July trade deal in which Washington agreed to cut its reciprocal tariff on South Korea to 15% from the initially proposed 25% and to apply the same reduced rate to South Korean cars, the country's top export to the United States. South Korea also agreed to purchase $100 billion in U.S. energy and invest $350 billion in the country, and the leaders could use their meeting to discuss expanding cooperation in key industries such as semiconductors, batteries and shipbuilding, Lee's spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said. The meeting also comes amid concerns in Seoul that the Trump administration could shake up the decades-old alliance by demanding higher payments for the U.S. troop presence in South Korea and possibly move to reduce it as Washington shifts more focus on China. Lee and Trump will discuss strengthening the allies' defense posture against growing North Korean threats, and also developing the partnership into a 'future-oriented, comprehensive strategic alliance' to address the changing international security and economic environment, according to Kang, who didn't elaborate on the specific issues to be addressed. Dating back to his first term, Trump has regularly called for South Korea to pay more for the 28,500 American troops stationed on its soil. Recent comments by key Trump administration officials, including Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, have also suggested a desire to restructure the alliance, which some experts say could potentially affect the size and role of U.S. forces in South Korea. Under this approach, South Korea would take a greater role in countering North Korean threats while U.S. forces focus more on China, possibly leaving Seoul to face reduced benefits but increased costs and risks, experts say.
Boston Globe
26 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
South Korean President Lee will travel to Washington for Aug. 25 meeting with Trump
Advertisement The meeting also comes amid concerns in Seoul that the Trump administration could shake up the decades-old alliance by demanding higher payments for the U.S. troop presence in South Korea and possibly move to reduce it as Washington shifts more focus on China. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Lee and Trump will discuss strengthening the allies' defense posture against growing North Korean threats, and also developing the partnership into a 'future-oriented, comprehensive strategic alliance' to address the changing international security and economic environment, according to Kang, who didn't elaborate on the specific issues to be addressed. Dating back to his first term, Trump has regularly called for South Korea to pay more for the 28,500 American troops stationed on its soil. Recent comments by key Trump administration officials, including Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, have also suggested a desire to restructure the alliance, which some experts say could potentially affect the size and role of U.S. forces in South Korea. Advertisement Under this approach, South Korea would take a greater role in countering North Korean threats while U.S. forces focus more on China, possibly leaving Seoul to face reduced
