Court's Reasoning
The Virginia Supreme Court struck down the state's new congressional map, a plan approved by voters in April that would have favored Democrats. The 4-3 ruling determined that the General Assembly did not follow the correct constitutional procedure when approving the redistricting referendum. The court found that the legislature violated the multistep process for putting constitutional amendments on the ballot. The majority opinion stated that this violation "incurably taints" the referendum, rendering it "null and void." The court ordered the state to use the same congressional district map used in 2022 and 2024.
Democratic Response
Democrats had hoped the redistricting would shift the state's congressional split from 6-5 in their favor to 10-1. House Speaker Don Scott said, "We respect the decision of the Supreme Court of Virginia." Attorney General Jay Jones, however, accused the court of putting "politics over the rule of law" and silencing voters. Jones stated his office is reviewing "every legal pathway forward." Rep. Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, called the ruling a "setback that sends a terrible message to Americans."
Republican Victory
Republicans, who repeatedly sued to block the redistricting vote, have called it "extreme, illegal and hyperpartisan." President Trump celebrated the ruling as a "huge win for the Republican Party, and America, in Virginia," on Truth Social. Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters said, "Democrats just learned that when you try to rig elections, you lose."
National Implications
The decision eliminates four House seats that were expected to flip to the Democrats in November's midterms. One House Democrat, speaking anonymously, said, "Damn, California and Virginia were supposed to be our bigger ones." The ruling gives Republicans a boost as they defend their narrow House majority, with some Democrats acknowledging they "basically need to run the table in November to win now." Another anonymous House Democrat offered a one-word reaction: "F*****ck!!"
Trump's Tariffs Deemed Unlawful
In other legal news, the Court of International Trade ruled that President Trump's 10% global tariffs are unlawful. The court's 2-1 decision stated that if the president can decide what counts as a "balance-of-payments deficit," he can always find one, giving Trump unlimited tariff power that belongs to Congress. The tariffs, imposed in February under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, are set to expire in July.
Tariff Impact
The CIT ruling applies narrowly to two businesses and the state of Washington. The ruling leaves the average effective U.S. tariff rate on imports at 7.2%, according to Capital Economics. White House spokesman Kush Desai said, "President Trump has lawfully used the tariff authorities granted to him by Congress to address our balance of payments crisis." The Department of Justice has filed a notice of appeal.
Future Actions
Democrats may appeal the redistricting case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Virginia spent $5.2 million to pay for the special election, while outside groups raised nearly $100 million to sway voters. Jim Messina, former campaign manager for President Obama, said Virginia "has to" bring the redistricting case to the Supreme Court.
The sources also report that the Court of International Trade's ruling against Trump's tariffs is the second time his tariff regime has been found illegal.