President Trump blasted a decision by a state judge in Utah ordering a redistricting, drawn up by a so-called independent commission and not the legislature, that will give Democrats an extra House seat.

Here’s what he wrote:

Monday’s Court Order in Utah is absolutely Unconstitutional. How did such a wonderful Republican State like Utah, which I won in every Election, end up with so many Radical Left Judges? All Citizens of Utah should be outraged at their activist Judiciary, which wants to take away our Congressional advantage, and will do everything possible to do so. This incredible State sent four great Republicans to Congress, and we want to keep it that way. The Utah GOP has to STAY UNITED, and make sure their four terrific Republican Congressmen stay right where they are!

 
Senator Mike Lee explained yesterday what’s going on with this:

4/ The Utah courts are now invalidating both the legislature’s amendments and Utah’s existing congressional-district maps, even though nothing in the Utah Constitution compels that result, and in fact Article IX of the Utah Constitution *requires* legislative districts to be drawn by the *legislature*

5/ It now appears that Utah will be bound by congressional-district maps drawn not by the legislature, but by the outside commission

Although the legislature still has final authority to approve such maps, under today’s court order, the maps have to be drawn by the commission—even though the Utah Constitution gives that power to the *legislature*

6/ This is a great day for Utah’s Democrats—who haven’t controlled the Utah legislature in many, many decades (because most Utah voters don’t like what the Democratic Party is selling), and have found a clever way to even the score by enlisting the help of their judicial allies

7/ But it’s a terrible day for everyone else—and for the rule of law

Make no mistake, this decision will make the process of drawing legislative districts in Utah *less* accountable to voters, not more

It’ll also result in maps that are far more generous to Democrats, and that’s the whole point

8/ Simply put, this is a judicial takeover of the political process—one designed by leftists to advance the electoral prospects of the Democratic Party

9/ This is yet another example of how “independent commissions” are often used to give the left an unfair, unearned advantage in red states—one they could never otherwise secure

10/ If you find this manipulation of the judicial system appalling, contact your state legislators today, tell them how you feel about the ruling, and encourage them to act quickly and aggressively to fix this problem, even by means of a constitutional amendment if necessary