Supreme Court rejects Trump-backed Missouri congressional map

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to intervene in Missouri's redistricting dispute, refusing an emergency appeal that sought to implement a new congressional map backed by Donald Trump for the upcoming November election. This decision allows a ruling from the Missouri Supreme Court to stand, which mandates that the new district lines must be put to a statewide vote before they can take effect.

The Missouri Supreme Court had previously determined that the referendum petition submitted by opponents of the map was legal and timely. The court overturned the Republican Secretary of State's decision to reject the petition, stating that the legislation containing the new districts would not go into effect unless approved by voters. Consequently, the congressional map adopted after the 2020 census remains in place for future elections.

Republicans, including Trump, had hoped the new map would help them gain an additional seat and maintain their narrow majority in the House of Representatives. Trump criticized the ruling, calling it a disturbance to the election process and noting the limited time before the election. Missouri's Attorney General Catherine Hanaway had vowed to appeal, asserting the state was in a "constitutional crisis," but Justice Brett Kavanaugh denied the emergency request, marking a setback for the party's redistricting efforts.