Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis released a new map in the national redistricting battle that he wants his state’s legislature to quickly approve despite several important issues with it, according to critics.

First, it may be unconstitutional. Florida’s constitution bans maps designed to favor a political party. Critics say the map is designed to reduce the number of congressional seats held by Democrats by four — including possibly wiping out two prominent Democratic members of Congress, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Jared Moskowitz, according to the Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman.

Politico is calling it a “GOP-friendly” map, and Axios calls it “gerrymandered.”

“Trump and other GOP leaders have been explicit about why they want new lines — to help Republicans hold on to a House that they control 217-212,” The Washington Post reports. “Republicans in Florida can’t use that rationale because of a 2010 amendment to the state constitution that bars drawing districts to favor one party.”

And yet, some Republicans appear to have done just that.

“Legal challenges are sure to hinge on that part of the state constitution as Democrats look for evidence that Republicans are motivated by a desire to improve their electoral fortunes,” the Post added. “Florida Republicans have been mostly tight-lipped but at times have signaled that their efforts are inspired by partisanship. ‘Because of what now has been done in Virginia, now Florida needs to respond,’ said Rep. Byron Donalds, who is running to succeed DeSantis.”

READ MORE: ‘Hateful’: Melania Trump Demands ABC ‘Take a Stand’ Against Jimmy Kimmel

VoteHub’s head of data science, Zachary Donnini, called the map “highly aggressive and pretty risky for 2026.”

The Atlantic’s James Surowiecki called it “a gerrymander done with the intent of helping Republicans and hurting Democrats, which is explicitly prohibited by Florida’s constitution. The only way this map could stand (assuming it’s passed into law) is if FL’s Supreme Court willfully ignores the state constitution.”

“The fact that the Governor shared his illegally-rigged Congressional map with @FoxNews before sharing it with state senators voting on them TOMORROW shows how partisan and illegitimate this process is,” declared Florida Democratic state Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith.

“Changing the lines creates risks for Republicans because they could make some GOP incumbents more vulnerable as they try to take over more districts held by Democrats,” the Washington Post also reported, noting that Republicans are not enthusiastic about passing the map.

“24 hours before start time,” reported Axios’ Marc Caputo, “legislators [haven’t] even seen the maps, drafted secretly by Team DeSantis, they plan to rubber stamp.” Noting that a redistricting special session will be “convened by gubernatorial fiat —not the courts,” he calls the entire event “unprecedented.”

Critics weighed in on the DeSantis effort.

“DeSantis map looks like they just laughed at the concerns from Republicans in the Florida delegation,” wrote Aaron Fritschner, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA). “Just at a glance without even getting the shapefile or the breakdowns I see risk for them in some of these districts.”

“Certifiably insane to eliminate Democrat representation out of purple-as-a-plum Tampa Bay,” declared Florida Politics’ publisher Peter Schorsch, who notes he is a registered Republican. “This will backfire.”

READ MORE: Pope Leo: Church Should Focus More on Justice and Less on Same-Sex Blessings

Image via Reuters 

First Lady Melania Trump is calling for ABC to hold Jimmy Kimmel accountable days after the late night host offered up some jokes about her and President Donald Trump in a mock version of a White House Correspondents’ Dinner roast.

“Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country,” the First Lady said on social media Monday. “His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America.”

“People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” she continued. “A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him. Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.”

The First Lady did not reference that Kimmel’s jokes were meant in the spirit of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which historically has had a comedian who lampoons the President of the United States host the festivities. That tradition also includes presidents delivering self-deprecating remarks. Until Saturday, as president, Donald Trump has boycotted every WHCD.

READ MORE: Pope Leo: Church Should Focus More on Justice and Less on Same-Sex Blessings

According to Fox News, Kimmel on Thursday night had said, “Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”

During Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a heavily-armed gunman trying to rush the event “sprinted through a security checkpoint,” The New York Times reported, but was apprehended by Secret Service before he was able to enter the event space.

The Times also published some of the jokes Kimmel delivered Thursday night in a parody that he had called an “all-American” version of the D.C. dinner:

“By the way, in the unfortunate event that our president has a medical emergency tonight, do we have a doctor in the house — oh, I’m sorry. I mean, do we have a Jesus in the house? I always confuse them, too.”

“I get why you think you’re Jesus. This guy, every time he walks into a room, people say, ‘Christ, he’s back.’”

Both jokes appeared to reference posts the president had made seemingly depicting himself as Jesus.

Other jokes by Kimmel the Times published included:

“Oh, by the way, before we go any further: Melania, this is Donald. Donald, this is Melania. That was my impression of Jeffrey Epstein.”

“As the president will tell you repeatedly until you beg him to stop, President Trump has accomplished so much during his second term. He passed new incentives for oil and gas. He put the brakes on solar and wind. That will be your legacy, sir, breaking wind and passing gas.”

READ MORE: How Trump Is Doubling Down on His ‘God Complex’: Columnist

Image via Reuters 

Circumstances have placed Democrats in an enviable position, but there are numerous reasons why the party has plenty of reasons to temper its confidence going into the November midterms, warns New York Times opinion writer Frank Bruni.

From winning numerous special elections to dousing President Donald Trump’s efforts to pick up House seats for Republicans with mid-decade redistricting, Democrats have overperformed. Things are going so well that in addition to believing they can retake majority control of the House, Democrats now have their eyes on the Senate.

Democrats are also benefiting from President Donald Trump at “peak derangement,” Bruni explains, along with former allies like Tucker Carlson “swearing him off,” and prices that refuse to fall.

“President Trump may not be Jesus, but he’s performing a resurrection — of the Democratic Party. It’s enough to give an agnostic like me religion,” Bruni writes.

But he is not uncontrollably optimistic, and delivers a seven-point warning that Democrats, he says, should keep in mind.

READ MORE: Pope Leo: Church Should Focus More on Justice and Less on Same-Sex Blessings

“Voters still dislike them. A lot,” Bruni writes. The Republican Party’s approval ratings are slightly better than the Democratic Party’s. Democrats cannot assume an “anti-Trump posture” will be enough for them to sail to victory in the midterms.

“Every time people tell me, ‘Well, Trump is getting less and less popular, and his approval ratings are so low,’ I say, ‘Yeah, and national Democrats are even lower,’” Senator Elissa Slotkin, Democrat of Michigan, told Politico’s Playbook, Bruni notes.

“Not all elections over the past six or so months — and not all data — point to a swelling blue wave,” he warns. Bruni notes that in last week’s Virginia redistricting vote, Democrats won only by about three percentage points. In generic ballots, when voters are asked which party they want to have control of Congress, voters choose Democrats, but only by about five points. Bruni calls that margin “underwhelming.”

“The map isn’t kind to Democrats,” he continues. If Democrats really want to take the Senate, they can afford to make few mistakes. Democrats must hold all their current seats, and flip four more. Bruni calls it “tough” terrain.

“There’s zero assurance of party unity,” Bruni observes. Despite the “grave stakes” of GOP control of Congress, Democratic “infighting” remains. “The tension between the party’s progressive and moderate wings is thick,” he notes, and warns that for the good of the party, all sides must come together if they want Democrats to win in November.

Bruni calls Democrats’ financial picture “mixed,” explaining that while some individual Democrats have “amassed war chests much bigger than that of their Republican rivals,” GOP committees and super PACs have been more successful.

There are still redistricting battles Democrats need to win, and “uncertainty about which party will ultimately come out ahead” remains.

Lastly, Bruni warns, “Trump could have some very, very dirty tricks up his sleeve.”

Trump did try to overturn the 2020 election results, has continued to push to end voting by mail, and talks about “taking other measures that are obviously intended to suppress the Democratic vote total.”

Bruni concludes by calling himself “bullish” on Democrats’ chances in November, but adds that these are not “normal times,” and suggests that “Democrats may have to generate enthusiasm and turnout well beyond whatever burden they’d normally confront.”

READ MORE: How Trump Is Doubling Down on His ‘God Complex’: Columnist

Image: Public Domain by Architect of the Capitol via Flickr