It’s on…
California Governor Gavin Newsom is moving forward to draw new congressional lines in the Golden State that will aim to threaten Donald Trump’s presidency according to a blistering new attack.
“DONALD ‘TACO’ TRUMP, AS MANY CALL HIM, ‘MISSED’ THE DEADLINE!!! CALIFORNIA WILL NOW DRAW NEW, MORE ‘BEAUTIFUL MAPS,’ THEY WILL BE HISTORIC AS THEY WILL END THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY (DEMS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE!),” Newsom wrote Tuesday night, in a post written in the style of President Donald Trump’s occasionally all-caps social media posts.
The announcement comes amid Texas Republicans’ efforts to redraw congressional maps in their party’s favor. The redistricting showdown in Texas has led blue states to threaten to retaliate — with Newsom proposing to cut five GOP-held seats in California.
The redistricting battle in Texas — and potentially other states — has national implications, with control of the U.S. House potentially at stake. The Texas GOP’s proposed congressional map could net Republicans between three and five seats in next year’s midterm elections — seats that could make a difference as Republicans work to maintain their small majority in the U.S. House.
A spokesperson for California State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas confirmed to ABC News that the state legislature is aiming to release draft maps on Friday.
Newsom sent a letter to Trump on Monday asking the president to tell Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican governors to abandon efforts to draw new congressional maps. Texas Democrats have fled the state in protest of the maps.
The Texas House of Representatives was once again unable to reach a quorum Tuesday. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said that the House will convene once again on Friday, adding if there’s no quorum by then, Abbott will adjourn the current session and call a second special session to begin immediately.
The Texas Attorney General is working towards throwing Democrat politician Beto O’Rourke behind bars over his role in helping fundraise for the Democrats who fled the Lone Star State earlier this month.
In a statement released Tuesday, AG Ken Paxton said O’Rourke “blatantly” violated a restraining order when he continued to raise money for the lawmakers who fled Texas amid a contentious redestricting battle.
Over the weekend, a Texas judge blocked O’Rourke from fundraising for the runaway Dems. (RELATED: Texas Judge Stops Beto O’Rourke From Aiding Runaway Democrats)
District Court Judge Megan Fahey, who was appointed in 2019 by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, wrote in Friday’s order that she believes O’Rourke and his group “have and will continue to engage in unlawful fundraising practices and utilization of political funds” that either violates or causes the Democrats to violate state law and House rules.
Evoking the almost 200-year-old Texas refrain “Come and Take It,” Paxton celebrated the ruling in a statement.
“Today, I stopped his deceptive financial influence scheme that attempted to deceive donors and subvert our constitutional process. They told me to ‘come and take it,’ so I did,’” said Paxton, who is challenging U.S. Sen. John Cornyn for his Senate seat in next year’s GOP primary.
