California Gov. Gavin Newsom took aim at Vice President JD Vance Wednesday over accusations that California’s congressional districts are gerrymandered, pointing to what he argued was Republican hypocrisy amid President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape Texas’ maps in his party’s favor.
“Try again, dumb dumb,” Newsom wrote in a social media post on X directed at Vance, alongside a map of the United States with the most gerrymandered states highlighted in green, nearly all of them controlled by Republicans.
Earlier Wednesday, Vance had called California’s district map “outrageous,” arguing that of the state’s 52 congressional districts, only nine are represented by a Republican, constituting 17% of their congressional delegation despite “Republicans regularly” winning “40% of the vote in that state.”
“How can this possibly be allowed?” Vance wrote.
Republicans do receive around 40% of the vote in most statewide California elections; in the 2024 presidential election, Kamala Harris won 58.5% of the vote to Trump’s 38.3%. However, Newsom argued California’s district maps paled in comparison to what Republicans were trying to achieve in Texas.
“Donald Trump asks for five seats and (Texas Gov.) Greg Abbott automatically bends the knee,” Newsom wrote earlier on Wednesday. “The 2026 election is being rigged. California won’t sit back and watch this happen.”
Texas lawmakers are currently in a special session at the behest of Trump in an effort to redraw the state’s district map to give Republicans five additional seats in the House. Texas Democrats have vowed to oppose the effort, leading to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton threatening them with prosecution if they leave the state to prevent a vote.
Try again, dumb dumb. https://t.co/h7rJhvrUcNpic.twitter.com/le0E8CR1iO
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 30, 2025