Trump slams Supreme Court for blocking Missouri’s GOP-favored map for third time
President Donald Trump criticized the U.S. Supreme Court after it again blocked a directive that would have required Missouri to use a Republican-drawn congressional map for the general election. The court's intervention forces the state to revert to an older map for the upcoming contest, undermining a 7-1 plan that Republicans had pushed to use this year.
Why It Matters
The dispute determines which congressional boundaries Missouri will use in the midterms, affecting representation and partisan balance. Repeated rulings by the high court and lower courts have produced conflicting orders, prolonging legal uncertainty ahead of the general election.
Key Facts
- Who commented: President Donald Trump (via Truth Social)
- Court action: Supreme Court stopped a directive to use the Republican-favored 7-1 map
- Previous maps: Republicans had passed a 7-1 map last year; the alternative is an older 6-2 map
- Court history: This was the third time the dispute reached the Supreme Court; the high court had sided against Republicans twice before in interim decisions
- Appeals court: The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling backing Republicans, saying it was unconstitutional to revert to the old map after primaries were held under the new lines
President Trump criticized the Supreme Court on Sunday after the justices again intervened in Missouri's congressional redistricting dispute, blocking a directive that would have required the state to use a Republican-backed map for the general election. In a Truth Social post, Trump faulted the court for repeatedly overturning lower-court decisions and praised Missouri officials and voters for their efforts on behalf of what he described as election fairness.
The Supreme Court's latest action prevents Missouri from using the 7-1 congressional map that state Republicans adopted last year and instead directs officials to return to an older 6-2 map for the upcoming election. Republicans had sought to have the 7-1 plan in place for the midterms after using it in recent primaries, arguing the primary conduct under those boundaries made reverting to the former map improper.
The legal fight has reached the high court three times. Two earlier rulings by the Supreme Court had gone against the Republican position in interim orders, and the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently issued a final ruling supporting the GOP, saying it was unconstitutional to require the state to revert to the prior map after primaries were already held under the new lines. The Supreme Court's Friday order, however, again blocked the use of the Republican-preferred map for the general election.
The Hill reported that the publication had contacted the Supreme Court for comment. The dispute leaves Missouri with competing judicial directives and uncertainty about which congressional boundaries will govern representation in the upcoming general election.
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