#Trump says #FBI ‘may have to’ help bring #Texas#Democrats back to state

After Republican Sen John Cornyn of Texas called on the FBI to help locate & #arrest Democrats who left the state to block a vote on a new congressional map, Trump said, “They may have to.”

“A lot of people have demanded they come back. You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back, you have to fight it out,” said Trump.

#law#AbuseOfPower #gerrymandering #redistricting #democracy #elections
https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-8-5-2025#00000198-7c2b-dc4c-adfc-fc3f02bc0000

#Legal experts & even #Republican state AG #KenPaxton say it would be difficult to enforce consequences against the Democratic lawmakers.

#Texas House rules allow for fines of $500 every day the #Democrats are absent. The #House also issued civil warrants for the missing lawmakers to be arrested & returned to the House.

#Trump#FBI #law#AbuseOfPower #gerrymandering #redistricting #democracy #rigged #elections

#HakeemJeffries on how #Democrats will respond to the #Texas #redistricting scheme: "We are going to respond & respond forcefully, however we also will operate within the constraints of the #VotingRightsAct which is not what the Texas Democrats (sic; he meant #Republicans) are doing. We need fair maps & one national standard.”

#law#ElectionLaw #midterms #elections#Trump#GregAbbott #rigged

Hakeem Jeffries: "We are going to respond & respond forcefully, however we also will operate within the constraints of the Voting Rights Act which is not what the Texas Democrats (sic; he meant Republicans) are doing. We need fair maps & one national standard.”
Hakeem Jeffries: "We are going to respond & respond forcefully, however we also will operate within the constraints of the Voting Rights Act which is not what the Texas Democrats (sic; he meant Republicans) are doing. We need fair maps & one national standard.”
#HakeemJeffries on the #Texas #redistricting scheme: "These extremists want to be able to choose their voters as opposed to allowing the Texas voters to choose the people who should be privileged to represent them in Washington. It's #theft. That's what #gerrymandering in its extreme form is."

#law#ElectionLaw #midterms #elections#Trump#GregAbbott #rigged

Rep Hakeem Jeffries: “These extremists want to be able to choose their voters as opposed to allowing the Texas voters to choose the people who should be privileged to represent them in Washington. It's theft. That's what gerrymandering in its extreme form is."
Rep Hakeem Jeffries: “These extremists want to be able to choose their voters as opposed to allowing the Texas voters to choose the people who should be privileged to represent them in Washington. It's theft. That's what gerrymandering in its extreme form is."
#Texas#Democrats have twice deployed the same tactic to combat #legislation in the 22 years since #Republicans have controlled all of state government, but their efforts ultimately failed. This time, Democrats plan to stay away for 2 weeks to run out the clock on a special legislative session called by Gov. #GregAbbott (R) to draw a map that would give Republicans 5 more #House seats.

#law #gerrymandering#Trump #rigged#Congress #midterms #elections

#Texas#Democrats have twice deployed the same tactic to combat #legislation in the 22 years since #Republicans have controlled all of state government, but their efforts ultimately failed. This time, Democrats plan to stay away for 2 weeks to run out the clock on a special legislative session called by Gov. #GregAbbott (R) to draw a map that would give Republicans 5 more #House seats.

#law #gerrymandering#Trump #rigged#Congress #midterms #elections

The #Texas#House can conduct business only when two-thirds of its 150 members are present. At least 51 of the chamber’s 62 #Democrats will need to boycott the session to prevent #Republicans from acting on the new map. The lawmakers could return a couple of days before the special session ends Aug. 19 & use other stall tactics, but any success could be short-lived as #GregAbbott can immediately call another 30-day session.

#law #gerrymandering#Trump #rigged#Congress #midterms #elections

#Texas#Democrats have twice deployed the same tactic to combat #legislation in the 22 years since #Republicans have controlled all of state government, but their efforts ultimately failed. This time, Democrats plan to stay away for 2 weeks to run out the clock on a special legislative session called by Gov. #GregAbbott (R) to draw a map that would give Republicans 5 more #House seats.

#law #gerrymandering#Trump #rigged#Congress #midterms #elections

#Democrats in the #Texas legislature said they were fleeing the state Sunday to block a #redistricting plan backed by #Trump aimed at preserving the #GOP’s slim #House majority, escalating tensions as a broader fight over congressional district lines unfolds throughout the country ahead of the 2026 #midterms.

#law #gerrymandering #rigged#Congress #elections