Inside Trump's audacious plot to steal the House with SIXTEEN new seats

By CHASE HOPE, POLITICAL REPORTER FOR THE DAILY MAIL Published: 04:21, 7 June 2026 | Updated: 04:21, 7 June 2026 A favorable ruling from the Supreme Court on Tuesday boosted Donald Trump's midterm hopes, as he aggressively pursues redistricting ahead of the midterms. The conservative majority allowed Alabama to use a map for its US House of Representatives elections that a district court had previously barred as racially discriminatory. Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas are already using new maps for this cycle, which could potentially net the GOP as many as fifteen House seats. The Alabama development could give Trump a sixteenth. Alabama's new map had been drawn in 2023, but the lower court ordered on the basis of anti-discrimination provisions in the Voting Rights Act (VRA) that the state use a specially drawn replacement instead. The Supreme Court's April decision in Louisiana v. Callais changed the way the VRA is interpreted, enabling Alabama to eventually obtain approval of its 2023 map. The South's majority-black districts tend to vote Democrat, but they had been untouched by Republican lawmakers in redistricting efforts because the VRA was interpreted as requiring the existence of majority-minority districts. Callais changed that, allowing Southern states to carve up some majority-black districts to gain GOP seats. Several, including Alabama, took advantage. Alabama brought its blocked 2023 map to the Supreme Court, which in May asked the lower court to revisit its decision. The lower court continued to block the map.  Donald Trump looks on as he speaks to members of the media on board Air Force One while flying from Joint Base Andrews to Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, June 5 A protester stands during a press conference outside the Alabama state house on May 5 The Yellowhammer State went back to SCOTUS and on Tuesday was allowed to proceed with the 2023 map. Primaries for four of the Southern state's seven congressional districts have been pushed back from May 19 to August 11 in order to accommodate the changing map. Critics fiercely maintain that Callais and the subsequent Southern redistricting discriminate against black voters and reduce their representation. Typically, states only adjust congressional maps after the regular once-a-decade US Census. But as Trump seeks to stave off a blue wave in the midterm elections, he kicked off a redistricting war in July when he pressured the Texas state legislature to redraw congressional districts. Several other states followed suit. Before the Callais ruling, it looked as though Democrats might largely match GOP gerrymandering gains. California and Virginia began redistricting efforts in response, promising up to nine seats for Democrats. After Callais, the South was able to get in on the redistricting action, tilting the scales back towards the GOP. Then on May 8, Virginia's new Democrat-friendly map was struck down by its state Supreme Court, and a subsequent appeal to SCOTUS was denied.  The Supreme Court in Washington, DC, May 18  California could still net the Democrats as many as five seats, but the only other newly created Democrat-friendly district popped up in Utah after a court decision. If the redistricting wars were a game, Republicans outscored the Democrats 16-6. The GOP may well need the extra seats, as the party faces substantial headwinds in the upcoming midterms. With the exception of George W. Bush after the 9/11 attacks, sitting presidents since 2000 have lost at least nine (and up to 63) House seats in every midterm election. Trump's war on Iran has proved unpopular with voters as energy prices skyrocket. The Silver Bulletin's average of polls shows that 58 percent of voters disapprove of Trump's Iran war. In February, according to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was under $3.00. After peaking at over $4.50 in May, the price is $4.22 per gallon as of Friday - still a price increase of over 40 percent. Republicans seeking election in the fall will have to defend themselves against accusations that it is their party sparking the rise in gas prices.  The GOP could have collected even more seats if Trump's redistricting plan hadn't suffered two tough defeats in Indiana and South Carolina's GOP-led legislatures. Trump made his feelings clear by endorsing primary challengers that defeated five of the six Indiana senators that opposed it. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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