President Trump recently stated that it’s essential for Republicans to secure five additional House seats in Texas.
During an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Trump pointed out that other Democratic states, including California, Illinois, and Massachusetts, have already gerrymandered their districts, which has resulted in Republicans holding fewer congressional seats compared to the voter turnout from the 2024 election. “There should be more seats in California, and it’s all gerrymandered,” he claimed. “We have the chance to win five seats in Texas. We have an excellent governor and strong candidates there. Plus, I won Texas and received the highest number of votes in its history.”
Trump’s remarks come as Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been pushing, encouraged by the president, to redraw the congressional map in Texas midway through the decade. If successful, this redistricting would eliminate five seats currently held by Democrats, enabling the GOP to potentially gain those seats next year.
Abbott has called for a special legislative session to approve this new map. However, Texas Democrats left the state ahead of the session to thwart the legislative process, retreating to Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts.
Trump mentioned that despite garnering over a third of the vote in November, there are currently no Republican representatives in Massachusetts, and only a few in the Illinois House, despite high voter support. “They thought they were safe in Illinois, but it was all gerrymandering,” he stated.
Texas law imposes a $500 daily fine on legislators who purposely avoid attending sessions to prevent a quorum. Abbott has also called for their arrest and tasked the Texas Rangers with investigating these Democrats for potential bribery connected to donations intended to cover the fines.
Despite these challenges, state lawmakers are determined to continue their efforts, contesting what they label as “blatant racism.” In reaction to the moves by Texas and other Republican-led states, Democratic-led states like California and New York have announced plans to advance their own redistricting efforts aimed at increasing the number of Democratic seats in Congress.
