Democrats fight back against Trump in Virginia… and win
4/22/202626 min
A small election in Virginia looks set to have a major impact on Donald Trump’s power, and the capacity to derail the rest of the president’s second term in office.
Overnight, voters in Virginia approved a measure to redraw the state’s political map in favour of the Democrats, who now stand to gain as many as four additional seats in November’s midterms. Given Trump’s thin majority in the House of Representatives, that shift could be enough to flip Congress and put Democrats back in control of the nation’s legislature.
The debate around ‘gerrymandering’ began when Donald Trump urged conservatives to push through redistricting in their own states to redraw their own maps in favour of Republicans, sparking retaliation from Democrats in places like California and Utah.
The Democrats argue the Virginia election is about restoring fairness while Republicans have accused the party of acting like hypocrites. Will voters be turned off by the tactics, where does it all end, and which party stands to gain in the midterm elections?
HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
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This episode was made by George Dabby with Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
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Asma Khalid0:03
[digital music] How did Pakistan become the key peacemaker in talks to end the war in Iran? I'm Asma Khalid, one of the hosts of The Global Story podcast from the BBC. For decades, the South Asian country has sat on the margins of global diplomacy, but now it's emerging as a key player trusted by both the US and Iran. So how did Pakistan arrive here? And can it use this moment to raise its profile on the world stage? To hear more, check out The Global Story on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
Sarah Smith· Host0:34
[digital music] Democrats have scored a major electoral victory. They did it overnight with a special election in Virginia. This was a campaign that had both Kamala Harris and Barack Obama involved on the Democratic side. Donald Trump warning it would be a disaster that would affect the whole country if the Democrats triumphed. Well, they did, and their win, rewriting the electoral map of Virginia, will have huge consequences for the midterm elections, for Donald Trump, and for his agenda. So how is he going to respond and are the Democrats now on course to win the midterm elections? Welcome to Americast.
Anthony Zurcher· Host1:11
[upbeat music] Americast.
Sarah Smith· Host1:14
Americast from BBC News.
Anthony Zurcher· Host1:16
You hear that sound? Oh, I think when I hear that sound, it reminds me of money.
Speaker 01:21
We didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it.
Abigail Spanberger· Soundbite1:25
This is a big cover-up, and this administration is engaged in it.
Speaker 01:29
This guy has Trump