Redistricting generally happens once a decade. Only four years have passed since Texas Republicans last completed the process, and it’s difficult to imagine how they could possibly do more to stack elections in their favor. Twenty-five Republicans from the state currently serve in the U.S. House, compared with twelve Democrats. Their overwhelming advantage—itself the result of years of gerrymandering—led many Republicans to privately question the President’s demands. At an emergency meeting in the U.S. Capitol, in June, members of Texas’s Republican delegation in Congress expressed concern that their own districts might become less safe as a result of another gerrymander. According to the Texas Tribune, Abbott had told them that he was reluctant to add redistricting to the legislative agenda in Austin. Then Trump picked up the phone.journey-inline-newsletterinline-newsletter