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Mississippi’s GOP governor drops election pledge in huge setback for Trump’s midterm plan
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Republicans hoping to hold the U.S. House hit a setback Wednesday when Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves indicated he will not immediately pursue redistricting following a critical Supreme Court ruling, as officials seek to oust the leader of Democrats’ January 6 probe.
Following the Supreme Court’s «Callais» ruling on how race can or cannot factor into redistricting, several Republican-led states have moved to redraw congressional maps, arguing for race-neutral approaches — and officials in Jackson quickly took note.
Mississippi lawmakers were primed to convene a special session next week to redraw state Supreme Court and potentially congressional districts, but Reeves canceled the session Wednesday after the judge who ruled the court district maps inhibited Black candidates was overruled — sparking a now-in-limbo effort to oust entrenched former January 6 Committee chairman Bennie Thompson.
«Understand something, that maybe while it may be in the best interest of some individual politicians in Mississippi to talk about congressional redistricting, what happens in Mississippi doesn’t happen in a vacuum,» Reeves said in a talk-radio spot Wednesday.
MISSISSIPPI GOVERNOR SAYS HE WILL CALL SPECIAL SESSION TO REDRAW DISTRICT MAPS AFTER SCOTUS RULING
«I’m going to do what’s in the best interest of Mississippi and I’m going to do what’s in the best interest of America and I’m going work very closely with the Trump administration to accomplish both of those goals.»
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves speaks after defeating Elvis Presley’s cousin Brandon in the gubernatorial race. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Reeves pushed back on claims he flip-flopped on congressional redistricting, noting the Magnolia State’s March 10 primary has passed — complicating any change in voting landscape, and also said he was onboard with ending what he called Thompson’s 33-year «reign of terror.»
However, Reeves suggested it is not a setback to State Auditor Shad White and others’ renewed bid to shift the Magnolia State’s GOP representation from 3-1 to 4-0 and oust Thompson.
Thompson, a firebrand Democrat from Hinds County seeking his 18th term representing the predominantly Black and largely impoverished Delta region, is in danger of losing his reliably blue seat when redistricting commences.
Thompson and Reeves briefly sparred on X, with the Democrat depicting an elephant painting Mississippi «white» while Reeves countered that Thompson was wrong to claim ownership of the district with the term «my» versus the people of Mississippi.
«It must be done to go into effect before the 2026 elections,» replied voting rights activist Scott Presler, while Pastor William Pierce of Columbia drew a state map that comprised evenly divided 22-24-point Republican districts saying «this must be done now» -— as Reeves said the issue is not «if» but «when» and that he plans for the changes to take effect for the 2027 statewide elections.
SUPREME COURT RULES ON KEY VOTING RIGHTS ACT RULE AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WAGE REDISTRICTING WAR
White told Fox News Digital he was the first statewide official to publicly consider drawing-out Thompson and creating a 4-0 map, while Reeves rejected claims of pressure from the White House and Republican Party to redraw now.
As the Supreme Court was set to hand down the Callais ruling, Reeves took to Instagram to say he «do[es]n’t typically make news on a Friday afternoon» but made an «exception» to call a special session 21 days after the decision to consider redistricting.
White, a rising star in the GOP following his major anti-fraud and waste investigations, said that Thompson is «the worst congressman in America» and the state’s map favoring him must be dealt with promptly.
«Among Mississippians; normal taxpayers, Bennie Thompson is incredibly unpopular,» White said in an exclusive Fox News Digital interview Wednesday.
«As chair of the January 6 Committee, anyone who supports President Trump is not happy that Bennie Thompson represents a part of our state.»
TRUMP URGES REPUBLICANS TO ‘BE BOLD’ AS RED STATES PUSH TO REWRITE CONGRESSIONAL MAPS
«[I]t is absolutely both legally and practically possible to change our districts to a 4-0 state,» he said, pointing to Callais and Alabama’s successful bid Monday to get their «Livingston Map» through the courts.
Like Alabama, White said Mississippi officials have «dozens» of already prepared maps to choose from, including some that give each of the four congressional districts an even-keeled level of Trump support totaling 15 points or higher, citing 2024 election results.
«The real question is just whether our politicians here have the courage to actually get Bennie Thompson out. And that question remains unanswered right now,» he said.
White said Mississippi has been stuck with maps featuring a Thompson stronghold for decades, as Thompson himself told Jackson’s NBC affiliate it has been Republicans who have drawn the maps since his 1992 election to Congress.
Thompson said that the issue between the lines in the plans is race.
«I have a voting record that no other person in the [Mississippi] delegation can touch for those things that we need the most: Health care, housing, better educational opportunities… but they’d rather put somebody in position who’s against those things. And the only difference between Bennie Thompson and the rest of the delegation that represent Mississippi in Washington is that I’m Black,» Thompson told Memphis’ NBC affiliate.
REPUBLICAN RIFT PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN OVER TRUMP-DRIVEN RED STATE REDISTRICTING
Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, and Vice Chairwoman Rep. Liz Cheney participate in the committee’s last public meeting in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 19, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Thompson added Mississippi has a history of requiring federal intervention to provide equal rights to Black people, including during the Civil Rights era and suffrage fights, and compared it to the dynamic today, calling it «Jim Crow 2.0» that he will «fight back with every fiber.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Thompson for further comment.
After Reeves’ comments were reported, White told Fox News Digital that he still hopes «Thompson is redistricted-out as soon as possible – even if it’s not going to happen next week.»
Fox News Digital also reached out to Mississippi House Speaker Jason White, R-West, and Senate Leader Dean Kirby, R-Brandon for their take on Reeves’ latest move and efforts to redraw the map.
Meanwhile, Shad White pointed to New England as precedent for Mississippi drawing out Thompson, saying Kamala Harris’ 38% performance mirrors the GOP partisan makeup of multi-district blue states like Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine.
State Sen. Michael McLendon, R-Hernando, joined Shad White’s call to redraw the map to «give Speaker Johnson another ‘+1’ and send Bennie Thompson home.»
ALABAMA REPUBLICANS PLOW FORWARD AFTER KEY SUPREME COURT WIN PUTS CONGRESSIONAL MAP IN QUESTION
He disputed timeframe concerns, saying that Democrats successfully sued Mississippi to redraw his region, costing the GOP their supermajority — and he was still able to run in a mid-off-year primary.
«When Democrats demanded redistricting, the establishment’s response was simple: ‘We have a court order, and we’re going to comply,’» McLendon said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. «Now, suddenly, many of those same voices have gone completely silent.»
Asked for his view on the matter, U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell, a Republican from Pascagoula, told Fox News Digital that redistricting is handled by the legislature in Jackson and that he trusts leaders there to «follow the law and do what’s best» for the state.
«My focus remains on serving the people of South Mississippi and fighting for our conservative values in Congress,» Ezell said.
Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville and House Minority Leader Robert Johnson III did not respond to requests for comment.
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With hopes of a 4-0 Mississippi map before the midterms dashed, House Speaker Mike Johnson in neighboring Louisiana will have one fewer likely pickup as he battles a series of Republican retirements and independent voter malaise toward Trump in the effort to keep the House red.
Fox News reached out to the White House for comment.
mississippi, congress, white house, democrats, republicans, politics
INTERNACIONAL
Ship seized off coast of UAE near Strait of Hormuz may have been ‘floating armory’: report
Ship SEIZED near UAE coast, UK military says
Iranian forces seized a vessel 38 nautical miles off the UAE coast early Thursday, a brazen provocation occurring just as President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met in Beijing discussing key issues like the Strait of Hormuz.
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A ship was seized off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday morning, the British military reported.
The ship was boarded and «taken by unauthorized personnel» while it was roughly 38 nautical miles northeast of the United Arab Emirates’ oil export terminal Fujairah, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported Thursday.
UKMTO spotted the ship heading toward Iranian territorial waters after the seizure, it reported Thursday.
British authorities did not release information on who the ship belonged to or who seized it. Despite the lack of official corroboration, the BBC reported that the Honduras-flagged Hui Chuan was seized in the Strait on Thursday.
CARGO SHIP ATTACKED BY SMALL CRAFT NEAR STRAIT OF HORMUZ, UK MARITIME AGENCY SAYS
Ships are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on May 4. A report on May 15 said a ship was seized off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and is being brought toward Iranian waters. (Amirhossein Khorgooei/ISNA/AFP)
Citing the risk-management company Vanguard, the BBC reported that the ship’s operators told Vanguard that the Hui Chuan was operating as a «floating armory» for ships in the Strait to defend themselves from pirates.
A container ship sits at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, as a motorboat passes in the foreground on May 2, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
At least two other ships have already been seized in the Strait of Hormuz since February.
IRAN SAYS ITS SMALL SUBS DEPLOYED TO STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS EXPERT EXPLAINS THREAT: ‘VULNERABLE TO DETECTION’
A cargo ship sails in the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz on April 22, 2026. (AP Photo)
In April, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized the Panamanian-flagged MSC Francesca and the Epaminondes ships in the Strait.
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Fox News Digital contacted UKMTO and Vanguard for further information but did not immediately receive a response.
navy, middle east, counter terrorism, iran, united kingdom
Apagones masivos de hasta 22 horas en La Habana y de dos dos días seguidos en el resto de Cuba provocaron nuevas protestas y cacerolazos en la isla, después que el gobierno anunció que sus reservas de combustible “se agotaron” debido al bloqueo petrolero impuesto por Estados Unidos.
El país prevé registrar este jueves un nuevo récord en la profunda crisis energética que sufre desde 2024, cuando el mayor apagón de la jornada desconecte simultáneamente el 70 % de la isla en el momento de mayor demanda, según datos de la estatal Unión Eléctrica (UNE).
La UNE prevé para el horario pico -en la tarde noche- una capacidad de generación de apenas 976 megavatios (MW) para una demanda de 3150 MW. Ello significa que el déficit será de 2174 MW y la afectación estimada -la desconexión real para evitar apagones desordenados- alcanzará los 2204 MW.
A esto se sumó la caída parcial del Sistema Electroenergético Nacional (SEN), una desconexión de parte de la red eléctrica en todo el tercio oriental de la isla, de Ciego de Ávila hasta Guantánamo, que comenzó a restablecerse en horas de la mañana.
Leé también: La crisis terminal de Cuba, la isla que se apaga: cortes de luz, falta de comida y basura en cada esquina
Ante la asfixia del bloqueo energético impuesto por Estados Unidos, las reservas de combustible ya “se agotaron”, precisó el miércoles el ministro de Energía y Minas, Vicente de la O Levy, en la televisión estatal.
Hubo protestas en La Habana y Santiago de Cuba
En medio de estos cortes masivos hubo protestas en barrios de la provincia oriental de Santiago de Cuba como el reparto Portuondo, según reportes divulgados en redes sociales y en medios fuera del control estatal.
Por su parte en la capital, los ciudadanos salieron a las calles en casi todos los municipios, según informó la agencia española EFE.
Desde la noche del miércoles se reportaron concentraciones, cacerolazos y quemas de contenedores de basura en La Habana Vieja, Marianao, Guanabacoa, Playa, Luyanó, Boyeros, Cotorro, Cojímar, 10 de Octubre y El Vedado. Los cubanos protestan por los masivos apagones (Foto: Reuters)
“¡Prendan las luces!”, gritaban los habitantes de Playa, un barrio al oeste de la capital.
De forma inusual, en San Miguel del Padrón se reportó una protesta durante el día -habitualmente son por la noche-, cuando decenas de personas se concentraron frente a la sede del Poder Popular municipal.
Varias decenas de personas, algunas de ellas golpeando ollas y sartenes, protestaron contra los cortes de luz en ese barrio periférico de La Habana, informó la agencia francesa AFP.
Se agrava la crisis energética
La crisis energética se agravó en los últimos meses con el bloqueo petrolero impulsado por Donald Trump después de la captura del presidente Nicolás Maduro el 3 de enero en Venezuela. El chavismo, ahora bajo fuerte presión de la Casa Blanca, era el principal socio energético de la isla.
El ministro de Energía y Minas, Vicente de la O Levy, reconoció que en La Habana los apagones superaron las 22 horas diarias en los últimos días y dijo que la “critica” situación se debe “fundamentalmente” al “férreo bloqueo energético” de Washington.
Leé también: El Papa designó a un estadounidense como nuevo embajador del Vaticano en la Argentina
El presidente de Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, también acusó a Estados Unidos de estar “asfixiando” a la isla y calificó de “genocida” el bloqueo energético.
Cuba precisa unos 100.000 barriles diarios para sus necesidades energéticas y sólo produce unos 40.000 en sus pozos. El resto debería importarlo, pero en los que va de 2026 apenas entraron al país dos tanqueros con combustible del exterior, al menos de manera oficial.
Con el crudo nacional se alimentan las centrales termoeléctricas, mientras que los motores de generación precisan fueloil y diesel, que debe ser importado o refinado a partir de petroleo importado (el nacional es demasiado pesado).
Además de la falta de combustible para esos motores (al que Cuba ya tenía dificultades para acceder antes del bloqueo de Estados Unidos por falta de divisas) está el problema de la obsolescencia de las termoeléctricas, con décadas de explotación y sin las inversiones precisas.
Vecinos de La Habana salieron a protestar por los apagones (Foto: Reuters)
¿Llega ayuda estadounidense a Cuba?
En tanto, Cuba anunció este jueves que considera aceptar la ayuda de 100 millones de dólares ofrecida por Estados Unidos a condición de que se distribuya a través de la Iglesia católica.
“Estamos dispuestos a escuchar las características del ofrecimiento y la manera en que se materializaría”, respondió el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores cubano, Bruno Rodríguez, en la red social X.
Estados Unidos sostiene que la situación en Cuba se debe a la mala gestión económica interna.
“Es una economía rota y disfuncional, y es imposible cambiarla. Ojalá fuera diferente”, dijo el jefe de la diplomacia estadounidense, Marco Rubio, en declaraciones a Fox News a bordo del Air Force One mientras viajaba con el presidente Trump a China.
Trump firmó en enero un decreto que establece que la isla, situada a 150 km de las costas de Florida, representa una “amenaza excepcional” para Estados Unidos, y amenazó con represalias a cualquier país que quiera suministrar o vender petróleo a La Habana. Además, dijo que está pensando en apoderarse de la isla.
Las fricciones entre Washington y La Habana se intensificaron en las últimas semanas, aunque ambos países mantienen conversaciones. El 10 de abril se celebró una reunión de alto nivel diplomático en la capital cubana.
(Con información de EFE y AFP)
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Trade has emerged as a central focus of President Donald Trump’s high-stakes meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, following a Supreme Court setback over Trump’s tariff agenda earlier this year.
«President Trump had a good meeting with President Xi of China,» a White House official told pool reporters early Thursday morning. «The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between our two countries, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment into our industries.»
The talks come as Trump’s tariff agenda faced a setback after a Supreme Court ruling limited his use of emergency powers to impose duties, which cut directly into one of his preferred tools for pressuring Beijing. The ruling came against the backdrop of a yearslong tariff standoff between the U.S. and China, with Trump arguing aggressive duties are needed to force fairer trade terms while Beijing has repeatedly pushed back.
TRUMP’S TARIFF POWER GRAB BARRELS TOWARD SUPREME COURT
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping greet other officials at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on May 14, 2026. (Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)
«I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People’s Republic to an even higher level!» Trump posted to Truth Social on May 12, previewing he would press Xi on American trade. «In fact, I promise, that when we are together, which will be in a matter of hours, I will make that my very first request. I have never seen or heard of any idea that would be more beneficial to our incredible Countries!»
After Trump touched down in China on Wednesday, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning wrote on X Thursday, that «President Xi stressed to President Trump that facts have shown time and again that trade wars have no winner.»
«China-U.S. economic and trade ties are mutually beneficial and win-win in nature. Where disagreements and frictions exist, equal-footed consultation is the only right choice,» she added.
TRUMP GETS RED-CARPET WELCOME IN CHINA, BUT PAST BEIJING TRIP SHOWS PAGEANTRY ONLY GOES SO FAR
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026 in Beijing, China. President Trump is meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing to address the Iran conflict, trade imbalances, and the Taiwan situation while establishing new bilateral boards for economic and AI oversight. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Tariffs have been at the center of Trump’s China strategy since his first term, when he imposed duties on Chinese imports and Beijing retaliated with tariffs of its own. The fight has remained one of the defining pressure points in the relationship between the world’s two largest economies.
A major piece of Trump’s «America First» agenda has focused on leveling the global trade playing field by holding other countries accountable for trade deficits. One of his first moves after returning to office was rolling out the «Liberation Day» tariffs in April 2025, which were designed to serve as leverage in trade negotiations while also generating new revenue.
The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, invalidated Trump’s use of an emergency law to impose tariffs in February, ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president, even after declaring a national emergency, to impose tariffs.
Trump had championed ahead of SCOTUS’ decision that the court should rule in his favor as part of his larger effort to boost the economy, jobs and bring down costs for Americans.
KAVANAUGH RIPS SUPREME COURT MAJORITY’S ‘ILLOGICAL’ LINE ON TARIFFS
US President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. (Kenny HOLSTON / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Justice Brett Kavanaugh dissented, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Trump took issue with Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett — both of whom he nominated in his first term — for joining the majority, including just this month when he said the ruling has cost the U.S. $159 billion.
«I don’t want loyalty, but I do want and expect it for our Country,» Trump posted to Truth Social on Sunday. «Yes, I have another way of doing Tariffs, but it is far slower, and more laborious than what was just determined, in a close decision, to be ‘illegal’ or ‘unconstitutional,’ with three powerful, and highly accurate, dissents! Well, maybe Neil, and Amy, just had a really bad day, but our Country can only handle so many decisions of that magnitude before it breaks down, and cracks!!!»
TRUMP’S SIGNATURE TARIFFS HANG ON KEY QUESTION ABOUT CONGRESS’ POWER BEFORE SUPREME COURT
Trump moved to preserve his tariff pressure campaign through other trade authorities, including Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, though that route is temporary and has already drawn its own legal challenge.
A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the administration is also looking to Section 301, which allows the U.S. to investigate and respond to unfair foreign trade practices.
«This tariff tool has already held up from prior legal challenges,» said the spokesperson.
China’s President Xi Jinping (R) and US President Donald Trump visit the Temple of Heaven on May 14, 2026 in Beijing, China. (Brendan Smialowski – Pool/Getty Images)
Trump visited China in 2017 in meetings that produced more than $250 billion in announced commercial deals and cooperation pledges at the time, but it did not prevent trade relations from deteriorating in 2018.
This week’s talks come amid a renewed tariff standoff that reignited after Trump returned to office in 2025. The pressure began with new fentanyl-related tariffs on Chinese goods in February, before widening into a broader reciprocal tariff push that triggered retaliation from Beijing, and has since shifted toward negotiations over temporary off-ramps.
U.S. Trade representative Jamieson Greer previewed goals for Trump’s state visit last month on Fox News’ «My View with Lara Trump,» sharing that a top priority is stability between the two countries.
«We want to make sure we continue to have a flow of the rare earth we need for our manufacturing we wanna make sure that the Chinese continued to buy a lot of American agriculture and airplanes and other kinds of things that Americans are good at making, and we want to set the table to continue to have stability over the next six months to a year and so these are the kind of things that we’re looking for as outcomes from the trip,» Greer said.
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Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
donald trump, white house, appeals, trade, xi jinping
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