Legal AF by MeidasTouch Legal AF by MeidasTouch

Trump Panics as His Supreme Court Blocks Use of MAGA Congress Maps at the Midterm

Sep 9, 2026 · 11m

Summary

Michael Popock reports on Justice Kavanaugh’s solo ruling upholding the Missouri Supreme Court’s decision to keep the 2022 congressional map, rejecting a new gerrymandered map that would have created a 7-1 Republican advantage. The ruling stems from a successful petition by plaintiff Richard Van Glahn, who argued that Missouri law required a voter referendum for redistricting, a right Secretary of State Denny Hoskins improperly ignored. Popock highlights this as a significant pro-democracy data point, noting that even conservative justices recognize adequate state law bars federal interfere…

Topics discussed

Breaking news: Justice Kavanaugh rules on Missouri maps Details on the referendum requirement and 2022 map Political implications for House control and Democratic seats Kavanaugh's solo decision and context of the ruling Host introduction and location at AG conference Overview of the Van Glahn lawsuit and plaintiff The petition process and legislative redistricting Missouri Constitution referendum provisions and Secretary's rejection Clip: Secretary of State Hoskins defends his decision Hoskins claims constitutional authority to reject petition Host rebuts Hoskins' interpretation of state law Legal analysis: Adequate and independent state ground Introduction to interview with plaintiff Richard Van Glahn Van Glahn confirms sufficient valid signatures were submitted Questioning the Secretary's power to declare petition unconstitutional Precedent check: Has a Secretary ever rejected a valid petition? Timeline of obstruction and Supreme Court ruling on maps Kavanaugh's view on federal interference and state authority Broader context: Supreme Court and MAGA voting interference Comparison with Trump's failed mail-in ballot challenge Trump administration's new attack on mail-in voting logistics Scale of mail-in voters and upcoming Supreme Court briefing Prediction on the postal service voting case outcome Sign-off and call to subscribe to the channel Promotion of the Legal AF Substack and daily roundup Substack features: filings, interviews, and ad-free content
Listen ad-free on Castria