Trump attacks Utah's anti-gerrymandering ruling
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President Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon to attack a Utah court ruling that ordered new congressional maps pursuant to an anti-gerrymandering lawsuit.
What they're saying: Trump claimed Monday's order by state judge Dianna Gibson is "absolutely" unconstitutional.
- "How did such a wonderful Republican State like Utah, which I won in every Election, end up with so many Radical Left Judges?" he continued. "All Citizens of Utah should be outraged at their activist Judiciary, which wants to take away our Congressional advantage, and will do everything possible to do so," Trump added.
- "This incredible State sent four great Republicans to Congress, and we want to keep it that way," Trump concluded. "The Utah GOP has to STAY UNITED, and make sure their four terrific Republican Congressmen stay right where they are!"
Caveat: One of Utah's representatives, Republican Celeste Maloy, is not a man.
The latest: Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee posted on X in agreement with Trump, saying: "Trump's right—they're trying to disregard the law and the Constitution to turn Utah blue."
- "We can't let that happen," Lee wrote. "Legislative districts are supposed to be drawn by state legislatures, not unelected 'independent commissions' designed to give Democrats an edge."
Reality check: The U.S. Supreme Court in 2015 ruled that independent citizen-redistricting commissions are constitutional in a case that originated in Arizona.
- Multiple states now have commissions that draw the boundaries of congressional districts.
Between the lines: It's unclear which constitution Trump and Lee believe the order violates.
- Gibson's ruling rests on a provision in the Utah Constitution that gives the public the right to alter or reform their government.
Zoom out: This is the latest example of Trump and his administration attacking courts whose rulings have hindered the agenda of the president and the Republican Party he leads, in an escalating battle with judges across the U.S.
What's next: Utah lawmakers now face a Sept. 24 deadline to redraw and enact a map that complies with "the mandatory redistricting standards and requirements" outlined in Proposition 4, an anti-gerrymandering ballot initiative narrowly approved by voters in 2018, Gibson wrote in her Monday ruling.