WASHINGTON -- President Trump and top aides are pressuring Republican leaders in South Carolina and other Southern states to pursue mid-decade redistricting plans after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act, according to people familiar with the matter.
White House officials have been met with notes of caution about redistricting in the Palmetto State, which is a major focus of the push, including from Republican Gov. Henry McMaster and GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham. That has prompted Trump officials to place calls to multiple Republican state senators to urge action on redistricting, the people said.
The White House effort has been led by James Blair, Trump's deputy chief of staff who has been leading the president's political operation ahead of the midterm elections, according to a person familiar with it. Trump officials have also called GOP officials in Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee in support of redistricting, the people said, making the case that the issue remains important to the president.
The redistricting push by Trump and the White House comes as Republican legislatures across the South are seeking new maps that could wipe out minority-focused congressional districts in Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee.
Trump and White House officials expressed enthusiasm this week after the Virginia Supreme Court ruled against a Democratic-driven map there that would help the party, and after Trump was largely successful in defeating Indiana Republicans who defied his desire to redistrict there.
One reason for the push: Trump's approval ratings have dropped in recent months amid a war in Iran that has proved largely unpopular with the public, and rising gas prices, among other factors. Some Republicans have expressed concern about the party's chances in November.
Tennessee's governor signed a new redistricting plan into law Thursday, and redistricting efforts remain active in Louisiana and Alabama. On Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down the state's redistricting plan, which would have given Democrats a chance of capturing four additional seats in its 11-seat delegation.
Graham and Sen. Tim Scott (R., S.C.) spoke this week with Blair, who made the case for redistricting and urged them to go along with it, one of the people said. Trump has also spoken with Graham about redistricting in recent days, according to a person familiar with the matter. Representatives for Scott and Graham didn't immediately provide comment.
The South Carolina proposal, released Thursday by the state legislature, could help Republicans capture a majority-Black district held by Rep. Jim Clyburn (D., S.C.) but would push more Democratic-leaning voters into neighboring districts, including those currently held by GOP Reps. Joe Wilson and Nancy Mace. That has created apprehension among state Republicans that the moves could inadvertently put more districts at risk.
"I've told (Trump's) people,'make sure the map accomplishes the goal,'" Graham told reporters Thursday in South Carolina. "If at the end of the day we've created a map that gives Democrats more competitive opportunities, what have you gained? You may pick up one seat; you may risk two or three others."
To build support for the plan, Trump's team has placed calls to South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson, both of whom are running in a GOP primary for governor. The White House calls have also included Ed McMullen, a former Trump campaign chairman in the state who served as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland during the president's first term; none of the three responded to requests for comment.
Both Evette and Wilson expressed support for redistricting this week, with Evette writing on X Friday that "South Carolina is more Republican than Connecticut is Democrat. And yet CT has 100% of its congressional seats controlled by Democrats." Wilson wrote on X that for the first time in decades, "our state has a real chance to redraw congressional districts in a way that is constitutional, fair and focused on communities instead of racial politics."
Trump hasn't yet issued an endorsement in the Republican primary for governor, which features a large field that also includes Mace and Rep. Ralph Norman (R., S.C.). Clyburn has denounced the plan, accusing Republicans of trying to break apart his congressional district "not because voters demanded it, but because Donald Trump requested it," he wrote on X.
Shane Massey, the Republican majority leader in the state Senate, has held multiple calls with Trump about redistricting, telling reporters Wednesday that "there was no pressure." But Massey said he has warned White House officials that such a plan could lead to unintended consequences.
"I'm concerned about whether we can hold seven seats," Massey said, referring to the state's entire congressional slate. "Frankly, I'm concerned that ... if you get cute with this and you start playing with it too much, you could actually end up losing seats."
Massey told Trump in a phone call this week that while he didn't support redistricting, he wouldn't work against it, the people said. White House officials said they are watching Massey closely. Massey didn't respond to requests for comment.
McMaster has told others he is listening to the White House's arguments and has spoken to Trump and White House officials. He generally has viewed himself as a close ally of Trump, the people said, and has even taken the president on the field at a University of South Carolina football game. But he is also skeptical of the redistricting push, two people who have spoken to him said,and has a good relationship with Clyburn,the state's only elected Democrat in Congress.The two men have known each other for decades.
Michelle LeClair,a McMaster spokeswoman,said that as an attorney,"the governor has asked a number of questions about redistricting-related legal cases and state law,but has not expressed skepticism."
Drew McKissick,the chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party,said in a statement that the party looks forward to the chance to grow its Republican congressional delegation,and will fight to do so.