California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state will create new electoral maps after former President Donald Trump failed to meet a deadline in a dispute over redistricting. The Twitter post from Newsom’s office read: “DONALD ‘TACO’ TRUMP … MISSED THE DEADLINE!!! CALIFORNIA WILL NOW DRAW NEW, MORE ‘BEAUTIFUL MAPS’.”
The tweet’s aggressive tone and capitalization were in emulation of Trump’s typical social media writing style. “TACO” is a nickname Newsom used for Trump, referring to the claim that Trump is ‘always’ backing down.
The dispute is part of a broader redistricting battle between Democratic and Republican-led states. Texas recently passed a new congressional map, but it hasn’t been fully approved due to a quorum break by Democrats. Governor Greg Abbott plans to call a special session to address the issue.
In a letter to Trump, Newsom stated he would prefer independent commissions to handle map-drawing. However, if other states continue their redistricting efforts, Newsom said California is prepared to consider changing its maps.
While at a press conference with Texas lawmakers and California legislative leaders, Newsom proposed a plan to ask voters to approve a measure that creates five more Democratic-leaning seats. The governor believes voters will support the plan.
Trump has supported the Texas redistricting plan, arguing that his party deserves five additional seats due to his popular vote win in the 2024 presidential election. But this argument does not hold ground as a popular vote win doesn’t directly translate to more congressional seats for a party.
The White House is now targeting other red states, such as Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri, in an effort to build support in the redistricting battle.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/12/newsom-california-trump-deadline-electoral-maps
