President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind a South Carolina redistricting push, calling on state Republicans to be “bold and courageous” as they prepare to vote on new congressional lines. In a Monday post on Truth Social, Trump praised Tennessee Republicans for approving a map that could unseat the state’s lone House Democrat and urged South Carolina to follow suit. “Move the U.S. House Primaries to August, leave the rest on the same schedule,” he wrote. “Everything will be fine. GET IT DONE.”
The South Carolina House’s Constitutional Laws subcommittee is set to debate the redistricting measure on Tuesday, with a full floor vote possible later this week. The bill must also pass the state Senate, where leaders have not yet committed to considering it, as the regular session ends May 14. If approved, the state’s congressional primaries would shift from June 9 to August 11—a date that overlaps with the first day of school in several counties, potentially disrupting polling site availability.
The timing has drawn criticism from candidates already campaigning under current district lines, who worry about transferring funds and adjusting canvassing efforts. Senator Lindsey Graham acknowledged the challenges during a May 8 campaign event, telling The Post and Courier, “It’s sort of late in the game. Is it too late? I don’t know. I think the Trump people believe that the new map can lead to a pick up and it won’t jeopardize seats.”
Targeting Clyburn’s District
Redrawing South Carolina’s map would likely dismantle the 6th District, currently held by Representative Jim Clyburn, the only Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation. The district was created under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act to protect minority voting power, but a recent Supreme Court ruling has weakened those protections. Clyburn accused Republicans of acting at Trump’s behest, not voters’ request. “Republicans are trying to break apart South Carolina’s 6th District. Not because voters demanded it, but because Donald Trump requested it,” he said. “We cannot let them succeed.”
Trump’s intervention is part of a broader strategy to lock in Republican majorities in the House and Senate ahead of midterm elections, a push that has also involved redrawing lines in other states. The effort in South Carolina could force Clyburn out after five terms, reshaping the state’s delegation entirely red. Critics warn that the move could also discard over 5,000 absentee ballots already cast for the June primaries, according to The Post and Courier.
Supporters of the plan argue it’s necessary to maintain GOP control. Representative Joe Wilson told the outlet, “If we don’t keep a majority, our country is going to be in a perpetual, endless impeachment.” The comment echoes Trump’s own warnings about Democratic threats to his presidency, as seen in recent tensions over foreign policy and domestic issues. For context, Trump’s fury over an Iran proposal has threatened a fragile ceasefire, while his midterm fate remains tied to the Iran war’s toll on the job market.
The redistricting fight in South Carolina mirrors a national trend, with Virginia Democrats recently taking a redistricting fight to the Supreme Court after a state court blocked their map. As the clock ticks toward the May 14 session end, all eyes are on Columbia to see if Trump’s call for action will yield results.
