Texas Democrats on Monday prevented their state’s House of Representatives from moving forward, at least for now, with a redrawn congressional map sought by President Donald Trump to shore up Republicans’ 2026 midterm prospects as his political standing falters.
After dozens of Democrats left the state, the Republican-dominated House was unable to establish the quorum of lawmakers required to do business. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has made threats about removing members who are absent from their seats. Democrats counter that Abbott is using “smoke and mirrors” to assert legal authority he doesn't have.
In California, Democrats encouraged by Gov. Gavin Newsom are considering new political maps that could slash five Republican-held House seats in the liberal-leaning state while bolstering Democratic incumbents in other battleground districts. The move is intended to undercut any GOP gains in Texas, potentially swinging House control and giving Democrats a counterweight to Trump on Capitol Hill.
Here's the latest:
When the coronavirus surged during Trump’s first term, he called for a simple fix: Limit the amount of testing so the deadly outbreak looked less severe. When he lost the 2020 election, he had a ready-made reason: The vote count was fraudulent.
And on Friday, when the July jobs report revisions showed a distressed economy, Trump had an answer: He fired the official in charge of the data and called the report of a sharp slowdown in hiring “phony.”
Trump has a go-to playbook if the numbers reveal uncomfortable realities, and that’s to discredit or conceal the figures and to attack the messenger — all of which can hurt the president’s efforts to convince the world that America is getting stronger.
“Our democratic system and the strength of our private economy depend on the honest flow of information about our economy, our government and our society,” said Douglas Elmendorf, a Harvard University professor who was formerly director of the Congressional Budget Office. “The Trump administration is trying to suppress honest analysis.”
▶ Read more about Trump’s response to unfavorable data
President Trump defended Texas Republicans’ decision to redraw the state’s congressional map mid-decade, pointing to Democratic-led states where he says Republicans are underrepresented.
“They did it to us,” Trump said in a TV interview Tuesday.
But in many of the states Trump referenced — including California — partisan lawmakers are not in charge of drawing district lines.
During the same interview, Trump also lashed out at Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who welcomed Texas Democrats to his state after they left to block a vote on the new map. Trump called Pritzker “probably the dumbest of all governors.”
Touting his 2024 win and “the best poll numbers,” Trump told CNBC that “I’d like to run again.”
But asked by the hosts if he will, Trump replied, “Probably not.”
The back-and-forth came as Trump heralded his 2024 win in Texas, a record he said “they say won’t be beaten unless I run again.”
Trump said on CNBC that higher tariffs could be coming for India.
Last week, Trump said the U.S. said it would impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, plus an additional import tax because of India’s purchasing of Russian oil.
“I think I’m going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours because they’re buying Russian oil, they’re fueling the war machine,” Trump said Tuesday. “And if they’re going to do that, then I’m not going to be happy.”
The 25% tariffs were part of a flurry of trade activity that included a series of executive actions regarding Brazil, copper and shipments of goods worth less than $800, as well as a reduced 15% tax on imports from South Korea, including its autos.
The U.S. president said imported pharmaceutical drugs could eventually face tariffs as high as 200%.
“We want pharmaceuticals made in our country,” Trump said in the CNBC interview.
Trump said tariffs on pharmaceuticals will be “initially small,” but that he would hike it to 150% or 200% over the subsequent year and a half.
The president also said he would announce tariffs on semiconductors and computer chips.
Trump told CNBC hosts that 35% tariffs will kick in with the European Union if they don’t make good on promised investments in U.S. goods.
The president was asked what “teeth” were in deals to force European officials to make good on their pledges.
Trump initially said the EU was paying $650 billion but then rounded the figure down to $600 billion.
“We’re a rich country again,” Trump said, adding that the $600 billion investment can go in “anything I want.”
The president said he was considering four people for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s replacement.
Among the top on his list are his current economics director, Kevin Hassett, and former Fed governor Kevin Warsh.
“I think Kevin and Kevin, both Kevins are very good,” Trump said during an interview on CNBC Tuesday morning.
He said two other people were in consideration. Not one of them: current Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has indicated to Trump that he wants to stay where he is.
“It’ll be one of four people,” he said. “We’re going to make a decision soon.”
