Inside Obama’s Renewed Campaign To Keep Trump Allies Out Of Congress

Barack Obama has stepped into the battle for control of the U.S. House by featuring in a 30-second advertisement that encourages California voters to support a November ballot initiative capable of creating up to five additional Democratic-held congressional seats. Proposition 50 aims to significantly alter California's congressional districts to favor Democrats, strategically designed to regain dominance in the House and counteract President Donald Trump's actions in Texas and other regions aimed at securing more Republican positions in the 2026 midterm elections. In the ad, Obama, addressing the camera, states, “Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to rig the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years. You can stop Republicans in their tracks.” California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has presented the election as a referendum on Trump, who remains unpopular outside his conservative base. The voting period is currently active and will close on November 4. Opponents, including Republicans, claim the proposal represents a Democratic power grab, undermining district lines established by an independent commission over a decade ago. The conflict extends beyond California and Texas, with North Carolina Republican leaders signaling plans to redraw their state’s congressional map in line with Trump's push to bolster...