Dems put Trump on notice as redistricting fight ramps up ahead of midterms: 'Going to fight back'

By Fox News · Fox News

As redistricting battles are reaching a boiling point, Democrats said President Donald Trump "started this" while defending their own party’s response ahead of the 2026 midterms. "Donald Trump started this battle, and if people thought Democrats were going to sit on their hands while this happened, that was not the case," Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said. "We’re going to fight back." "Democrats did not want this," Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., added. On Tuesday night, Virginia voters narrowly passed a congressional redistricting referendum backed by Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger , securing a victory for Democrats and shifting momentum in the race for the U.S. House of Representatives. NEWSOM TURNS VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING VICTORY INTO WARNING SHOT FOR TRUMP ADMINISTRATION The Virginia referendum, which comes after Trump’s push for redistricting in Republican-controlled states, could give Democrats four more House seats. "It all starts with Donald Trump asking Gov. Abbott to do an unusual mid-decade redistricting," Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., said. Aguilar said that President Trump’s push in Texas may have sparked the nationwide map fights, but "Democrats and the American people are going to end it." "Republicans engaged in redistricting discussions in Indiana and in Kansas and in all these other places. It’s incredibly frustrating," Aguilar said. "Republicans started this fight, but Democrats and the American people are going to end it." Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., called the move "a grab by the president." BETO ENCOURAGES DEMOCRATS TO FIGHT 'FIRE WITH FIRE' IN TEXAS REDISTRICTING BATTLE "Mr. Trump said in Texas he was owed five seats, and that’s what triggered redistricting with no transparency," Dean said. "Just a grab by the president." Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said states following Trump’s lead are " doing the bidding " of the president and escalating the fight. "I think that Trump started a slippery slope that we’re sliding down," Johnson said. "Democrats h…