'Terrifying' ruling by Virginia Supreme Court poses real threat of civil war: expert

President Donald Trump met Friday's news that the Virginia Supreme Court had struck down a voter-approved redistricting referendum with delight — but many questioned the ruling as unjust.

The court ruled 4-3 that the state’s Democratic-led legislature had violated procedural requirements when it placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot asking voters to authorize the mid-decade redistricting, but the ruling strikes down the narrowly approved measure enacted two weeks ago in response to gerrymanders in GOP-led states.

“This violation irreparably undermines the integrity of the resulting referendum vote and renders it null and void,” wrote Justice D. Arthur Kelsey for the majority.

Trump hailed the ruling as a" Huge win for the Republican Party," but not everyone was thrilled – and some were terrified.

"The decision overturns the will of voters for technical reasons and gives Republicans a leg up for the 2026 midterms," warned Democracy Docket. "The decision marks a significant and terrifying moment in our democracy as the court allowed an election to be cancelled after its completion."

"The rules of redistricting are simple: Republicans are free to do whatever they want, and Democrats are also free to do whatever Republicans want," grumbled Waldo Jaquith, of U.S. Digital Response.

"So, SCOTUS says Red states can ignore the will of the people and gerrymander their districts 9-0 in favor of MAGA," noted human rights lawyer Qasim Rashid. "But VA Supreme Court says Blue states cannot put the vote to the will of the people and follow through on the people's will to redistrict. Beyond Absurd."

"Time for Virginia to do an Ohio and go with the maps voters approved," suggested Karoli Kuns, of Crooks and Liars. "Voters should trump procedural objections."

"Virginia supreme court justices are 're-elected' by state lawmakers, meaning the legislature chooses whether to reappoint them or replace them," reminded Daniel Nichanian, of Bolts Magazine. "Two of the four justices in the majority today against the new congressional map will be 'up' by early 2028."

"So, the Democrats’ failure to ban gerrymandering in 2021 may cost us democracy after all," sighed journalist Walker Bragman.

"Virginia voters should call their delegates and senators and demand that they ignore this illegitimate ruling," urged New York Times and Virginia resident Jamelle Bouie.

"Hard not to see this as a massive fail for Dem legislative leadership in Virginia," opined former Virginia delegate Rob Krupicka. "Real confidence killer. This plus all the infighting over the budget and it’s hard not to wish for a new group to be in charge."

"What this leads to, if not course corrected, is a second Civil War," warned Thomas Lecaque, a scholar on religious violence and apocalypticism. "I'm not a prophet, I'm not a 19th century historian, just a guy looking at the landscape, so don't take this as authoritative. But the structures that give the minority a stranglehold on power don't change the fact that: They are a minority, and a shrinking one at that; They hate each other only slightly less than they hate everyone else; The collapsing economy means that they cannot keep the masses passive with bread and circuses; This country has too many guns and a culture built around using them."

"We've reached the point where one party has so obliterated the rule of law that everyone else continuing to abide by it will only hasten the end of our democracy," agreed journalist Radley Balko. "That's a recipe for chaos and violence. It's terrifying, and I don't know what we do about it."