Trump again urges Pennsylvania GOP to appeal new congressional map

President Trump on Saturday urged Pennsylvania Republicans for the second time to appeal a court’s redrawing of the state’s congressional map to the U.S. Supreme Court, blasting “Democrat judges” who designed the new map.

The president took to Twitter to urge Republicans in the Keystone State to appeal a new congressional map that increases Democrats’ electoral strength in several districts currently held by Republicans.

“Democrat judges have totally redrawn election lines in the great State of Pennsylvania,” Trump wrote. “This is very unfair to Republicans and to our country as a whole. Must be appealed to the United States Supreme Court ASAP!”

Democrat judges have totally redrawn election lines in the great State of Pennsylvania. @FoxNews. This is very unfair to Republicans and to our country as a whole. Must be appealed to the United States Supreme Court ASAP!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2018

Trump’s tweet follows a similar message earlier this week in which he urged Republicans to pursue the state’s original congressional map, which was deemed unconstitutional by the state’s Supreme Court.

{mosads}

“Hope Republicans in the Great State of Pennsylvania challenge the new ‘pushed’ Congressional Map, all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary. Your Original was correct! Don’t let the Dems take elections away from you so that they can raise taxes & waste money!” he tweeted on Tuesday.

Hope Republicans in the Great State of Pennsylvania challenge the new “pushed” Congressional Map, all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary. Your Original was correct! Don’t let the Dems take elections away from you so that they can raise taxes & waste money!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 20, 2018

Republicans in the state are threatening to pursue legal action in federal courts to undo the state Supreme Court’s decision, and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey (R) floated the possibility of impeaching justices over the decision.

“Look, I think it’s inevitable that that conversation’s going to take place,” Toomey said. “I think state House members and state senators are going to be speaking amongst themselves and their constituents, and the fundamental question is does this blatant, unconstitutional, partisan power grab that undermines our electoral process, does that rise to the level of impeachment?”

Democrats control just five seats of the 18 in the state delegation despite the party’s strong showing in statewide elections. Democrats have argued that the GOP-controlled legislature unfairly drew its lines to limit Democrats’ power.

The new map released by the state Supreme Court will not go into effect for next month’s special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th District, where Republicans and Democrats are battling to determine who will replace former Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) after his resignation last year. In 2016, Trump became the first Republican to carry the state in a national election since 1988.