Donald Trump’s MAGA allies are melting down at “RINO” Republicans after a group of South Carolina state senators helped block a move to give Republicans a greater advantage in the state ahead of the midterms.
The South Carolina Senate was considering a bill to redraw the state’s congressional districts at Trump’s urging, but 12 Republicans joined every state Senate Democrat to kill the bill for now.
It was a rare move by a group of Republicans to defy Trump’s wishes as he’s been urging GOP-controlled states to take every opportunity they could to redraw districts to give the GOP an advantage before November.
The bill making its way through the South Carolina state house would have eliminated the seat held by longtime Democratic heavyweight Rep. Jim Clyburn and given Republicans all seven of the state’s congressional districts. The current maps in the state are six to one.
But the 12 Republicans joined with state Senate Democrats 20 to 24 to stop debate on Tuesday, as thousands of voters have already cast ballots as part of early voting for next month’s primary.
The move ensures that the current maps will remain at least for now, as the Senate agreed to adjourn instead of pressing forward with the proposal, which was punted until after the primary on June 9.
The unusual act of defiance came in a state that Trump won in 2024 by nearly 18 points, as other Republican-led states have been rushing to redraw districts to eliminate districts held by Democrats in the wake of the Supreme Court weakening the Voting Rights Act.
Conservative state Senator Richard Cash was among those who rejected the legislation. He called the scramble to redistrict while voters were already casting ballots a “mess” and said the clock to take action had already run out.
“South Carolina citizens are going to the polls today, and neither my conscience or common sense is going to let me stop an election that is already underway,” he said.
He said there was no precedents that he could find in South Carolina or nationally where state lawmakers changed the date of the election and redrew congressional districts after thousands of voters had already headed to the polls, and he was not about to join an effort to set a new one.
South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick expressed frustration with the situation in a statement on Tuesday.
“We’re very disappointed with the South Carolina Senate’s failure to act on President Trump’s call for redistricting,” he said in a statement. “It’s an incredible missed opportunity. Now we have to focus on what’s ahead of us: winning the next election to protect our majority and keep President Trump’s agenda moving forward.”
However, MAGA influencers on social media completely freaked out at the effort being rejected ahead of the midterms.
“Nearly a DOZEN so called Republicans joined Democrats to protect Jim Clyburn’s rigged seat that he’s occupied for 33 years,” ranted Gunther Eagleman on X.
“This is why RINOs CAN NEVER BE TRUSTED—no matter WHAT they say," fumed MAGA diehard Nick Sortor.
“Are you FREAKING KIDDING ME?! A RINO Senator then walked up and said he opposes it,” wrote Trump minion Eric Daugherty “TIME TO ‘INDIANA’ SOUTH CAROLINA and run primary challenges!”
The post was a reference to Indiana where a group of Republicans rejected the president’s demands to redistrict killing the effort. The vast majority of those state senators faced Trump-backed primary challengers this year and were ousted ahead of the midterms.
But in South Carolina, the effort took place while the election was already underway. Some 26,000 voters in the state had already cast ballots as of noon Tuesday, according to the Election Commission, setting a new record in the state’s early voting.
Videos from the state showed South Carolinians lining up to cast ballots on the first day of early voting. It was a line too far for some Senate Republicans, despite pressure from the White House to redistrict.
It comes on the same day that a panel of judges blocked the Alabama congressional maps that Republicans were seeking to implement to eliminate one of the two Democratic seats in the state. Republicans in the state plan to appeal.
