‘The whole country is watching’: Trump makes last-minute push to stop Virginia from gerrymandering districts
President Donald Trump made a last minute push on Monday to intervene in Virginia’s redistricting battle, urging voters to reject the ballot measure.
Virginia voters are set to head to the polls Tuesday on a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the state to redraw its congressional map ahead of the next census cycle. During a tele-rally with House Speaker Mike Johnson, Trump addressed supporters in Virginia and framed the upcoming referendum as a decisive national moment.
“Virginia has the chance to save our Republican majority in the House so that we can continue saving this great country of ours,” Johnson said before Trump spoke.
“Tomorrow, your Commonwealth has an incredible and really an important election in every sense of the word that will have major consequences for our entire country this November,” Trump said. “This is really a country election. The whole country is watching. So important and so unfair what they’ve done. We need every Virginia patriot to get out and vote no, no, no on the radical Democrats’ unfair ballot referendum. It is so crazy what they’re doing. So go to your polling place tomorrow and vote.”
Trump called on voters to reject what he described as Democrats’ unfair ballot referendum.
“Do not let the radical left Democrats rig this map and rig this election because they’ve done it. And that’s what, frankly, it’s the only thing they’re good at is rigging elections. They have no policy. How do you get elected with men in women’s sports and open borders for everybody?” Trump asked. “Transgender, mutualization of your children. It’s the only thing they’re good at is rigging elections. And we can’t let this happen in Virginia. We’re going to get your taxes back down.”
Trump said the referendum is a partisan effort designed to reshape Virginia’s political map to favor Democrats.
“This referendum is a blatant partisan power grab that nobody’s really ever seen anything like it. It’s the liberal extremist governor, Abigail Spanberger, too bad. And the far-left Democrats in Richmond after Spanberger promised Virginia voters that she would never do this. And if it passes, Virginia Democrats will eliminate four out of five congressional seats.”
Trump has been known to make late-stage interventions in political fights, often stepping in only when congressional deadlines are imminent or votes are hours away. In an effort to sway GOP lawmakers during the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702 renewal debate, a surveillance authority that allows monitoring of foreign targets, but has drawn criticism over potential incidental collection of Americans’ communications — Trump met with skeptical Republicans at the White House just before a key vote.
In 2025, Trump made a last-minute funding push by tapping his political war chest to support GOP efforts in key off-year races. His team directed roughly $1 million each to Virginia and New Jersey for get-out-the-vote microtargeting aimed at energizing low-propensity Republican voters in the final stretch before Election Day. During his last rally in 2025, Trump used the appearance as a last-minute push to reinforce his economic message as the country headed into a midterm-election year.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.