US supreme court blocks Missouri’s new congressional map backed by Trump

The US supreme court turned back an emergency appeal by Missouri officials to use a newly drawn congressional map backed by Donald Trump in the November midterm election, letting stand a ruling by the state’s highest state court that blocked the new lines from taking effect.

Last week the Missouri supreme court ruled that the map must go before voters to approve or reject the new districts, meaning it cannot be used in the November election. Trump and Republicans fumed over the decision, with the president calling it “horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional”.

Catherine Hanaway, the state’s Republican attorney general, had immediately pledged to appeal to the supreme court. The conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh denied the emergency request.

The decision marks a rare setback for the president and Republicans, who set in motion a national redistricting battle last year.