Yesterday Texas governor Greg Abbott pushed through plans that will see the district lines in the state changed in a way that just so happens to give the GOP five more potential seats. In turn, California governor Gavin Newsom vowed he would do the same thing in his state much to the annoyance of Abbott.
Abbott’s redistricting map in Texas is what’s commonly referred to as gerrymandering, and it’s usually frowned upon as it can give one party a particular advantage over another. In this case, Abbott’s new map, which came at the request of Donald Trump, has the potential to give Republicans five new seats thanks to the way the new district lines have been plotted. The plan was strongly opposed by Texan Republicans who did all they could to stop the changes from going through.
It seems like a clear ploy to give Trump more control over the House when it comes to the 2026 midterms, which will almost certainly see the president lose some, if not all of his majority. Some would say it’s a rather underhand tactic, but that’s not a surprise coming from the kind of people that support Trump.
Greg Abbott threatens Gavin Newsom
One thing’s for certain however, Abbott and the rest of the GOP certainly don’t like being played at their own game. Newsom, known for playing MAGA at their own game, recently unveiled plans to redistrict the congressional map of California in response to what was done in Texas, prompting Abbott to threaten legal measures against the Californian governor.
Abbott on Redistricting: What the Democrats have done is disgraceful and potentially illegal. If California is trying to squeeze out more Republicans, there will be lawsuits that overturn that. pic.twitter.com/9xCqiJVfQC
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 19, 2025
“What the Democrats have done is disgraceful and potentially illegal,” Abbott told Fox News. He claimed that any district changes that would give Democrats more seats would be met with lawsuits to overturn them. He also claimed that the Republican seats added in Texas would be legal.
“If California is trying to squeeze out more Republicans, there will be lawsuits that overturn that. What I can tell you in the state of Texas, the five Republican seats that we are adding, they are going to withstand legal challenges.”
So, to clarify, Abbott claims that when Republicans do it, it’s legal, but if Democrats do the exact same thing, it’s illegal and must be overturned. Please make it make sense.
Either way, Abbott had little support considering the fact that Newsom is simply playing him at his own game. “It’s hilarious when the cheaters are indignant that others might decide to play by the cheaters’ rules,” wrote one individual on X. Another asked, “How the f*** does he sit there with a straight face accusing Newsom of doing what he just did?”
Abbott just seems salty that someone else has given him a taste of his own medicine. A petition was recently put forward by Republicans to stop to Newsom’s plans but the petition was thankfully rejected on Wednesday
