All eyes of the country are fixed on Texas but there is more happening in the political world. Not all of it is good.
First, Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) is demanding several states turn over their voter registration lists. State election officials fear the Trump administration may be wanting to build a national file with voters’ personal information.
Or even more serious is the establishment of new rules to remove eligible voters from the rolls…or make it difficult for certain voters to cast a ballot. The Constitution makes clear states are responsible for running elections with the federal government playing only a limited role.
Second, Trump has turned the Texas legislature upside down. He wants a gerrymandered new congressional map designed to create five new congressional districts made up of Republicans. He knows if Republicans lose control of the U. S. House of Representatives in the 2026 mid-term elections…he immediately becomes a “lame duck”.
Third, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says, “it’s appropriate to redistrict congressional districts before the next election”. Never missing an opportunity to “suck up” to Trump. If DeSantis pushes a new map, it could cost some current Florida Democrats their seats in Congress. That would not cause either DeSantis or Trump heartburn.
Finally, there appears to be an all-out redistricting war breaking out. Democrats in several other states are making plans to fight back by gerrymandering out Republican held congressional seats.
All of this is taking place on the anniversary of the Voting Rights Act.
POSTSCRIPT
This explains a lot. Yesterday for the first time President Trump said that JD Vance is likely to be the Republican nominee for US president at 2028 election. This morning CNN is reporting top Trump administration officials will meet at the vice president’s residence Wednesday evening. The administration’s handling of the Epstein case as well as the need to craft a unified response, is expected to be the main focus of the dinner. Three sources familiar with the meeting told CNN. The dinner will include White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Vice President JD Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy AG Todd Blanche who met with Ghislaine Maxwell. One must wonder if it took Trump’s mention of JD Vance as the 2028 nominee to get him involved in the Epstein matter…he has been mostly quiet.