House Democrats are actively preparing for political trench warfare against the GOP in next year’s midterm battle, with talks taking shape behind the scenes to mount a counterattack against President Donald Trump’s aggressive play in Texas that aims to cement GOP control of Washington for the rest of his second term.

Texas Republicans are poised to redraw the state’s congressional map during a special session that starts Monday.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he believed Republicans could pick up five seats in the U.S. House of Representatives by redrawing districts in Texas, which could boost his party's odds of defending its thin majority in next year's midterm elections.