U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as he attends Markwayne Mullin's swearing-in as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 24, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
The Wall Street Journal's editorial board on Wednesday blamed Donald Trump for the Democratic gerrymander that just cost Republicans up to four House seats in Virginia.
In a sharply critical editorial, the Journal's board laid the Virginia debacle squarely at Trump's feet, arguing that the president "started this rolling rock that has now come down on their heads" by goading Texas Republicans into redrawing their own map last year.
Democrats responded in California, possibly adding five net seats, and Virginia may have added four more, with Utah set to add one. Republicans will likely pick up seats in Missouri, Ohio, and North Carolina. But the Journal's math suggested Republicans are likely to "break even at best" and could end up losing seats if a Democratic wave crashes into America in November.
The editorial didn't spare Virginia Democrats, calling the new map a "race to the bottom" and noting that the new 7th Congressional District has been dubbed the "lobstermander" for its crustacean-like shape stretching across the state.
The Journal also took aim at Barack Obama, who praised Virginia for "standing up for democracy," arguing the comment rang hollow given that the referendum effectively ends competitive congressional elections across most of the state.
The editorial concluded that Congress should ban mid-decade redistricting after 2030, otherwise the House "can barely be called democratic."