The Supreme Court Is Doing Everything in Its Power to Save Trump in the Midterms

"The Supreme Court reinstated Texas' new congressional gerrymander on Thursday by a 6-3 vote, thus all but ensuring that Republicans will pick up five additional seats in the House of Representatives next year. A federal court struck down the new map last month, finding that Texas had unconstitutionally discriminated against Black and Hispanic voters in its quest for partisan advantage. Over the three liberals' dissent, however, SCOTUS halted the lower court's order in an unsigned, shadow docket decision."

"Dahlia Lithwick: This feels to me like a signal that the Roberts Six are all-in on the gerrymandering arms race, especially if it's Republicans who are going to benefit. To see why, you don't really need to read past Justice Samuel Alito's concurrence, which accuses the plaintiffs of using false "claims of racial gerrymandering for partisan ends" to favor Democrats. Unless I'm wrong, in his telling, it's the Black and Hispanic voters who are the real partisans here and not the Texas Republicans. Just to clear this all up: Is this projection and gaslighting from Alito again?"

The Supreme Court revived Texas's new congressional map by a 6-3 vote, effectively making a Republican gain of approximately five House seats likely. A federal court had previously struck down the map for unconstitutionally discriminating against Black and Hispanic voters to secure partisan advantage. The Supreme Court stayed that ruling in an unsigned shadow-docket order with minimal reasoning, prompting concerns that other red states may adopt similar race-targeted gerrymanders shortly before elections. Justice Alito's concurrence accused plaintiffs of weaponizing racial gerrymandering claims and suggested minority voters were acting as partisans, intensifying criticism of the decision's racial and political implications.

Read at Slate Magazine