The mid-decade congressional gerrymandering that Donald Trump kicked off by instructing Texas Republicans to grab five additional districts before the 2026 midterms was startling to anyone with an understanding of how these things normally work. Traditionally (at least in the 20th century), redistricting happened every ten years following the decennial census and the reapportionment of U.S. House districts between the states. This expectation created considerable stability in congressional delegations with changes mostly attributable to shifts in the political weather, demographic trends that slowly changed the complexion of districts, and the occasional scandal or primary upset.

Yes, there were a few mid-decade power grabs in recent years (notably another GOP coup in Texas engineered

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