Democrat attorney Marc Elias said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House” that some supporters of President Donald Trump, otherwise known as MAGA, are enabling him to redistrict GOP-led states.
Since Texas moved to redraw its maps in July, Democrats nationwide have pushed back, calling the effort a threat to democracy. While discussing reports that Indiana leaders met with Trump in the Oval Office to plan a redistricting for their state, host Nicole Wallace asked Elias for his reaction. (RELATED: California Dems Call Redistricting ‘Transparent’—But Refuse To Say Who Drew The Map)
“Indiana was gonna cave from the moment Donald Trump asked them,” Elias said. “I am tired of this theater in which we treat the request by Donald Trump and the initial questioning by Republicans about whether it’s a good idea as actually anything other than a speed bump. In the end they always cave, you know, maybe the talk is true that Trump always chickens out abroad. But Republicans always chicken out when it comes to standing up to Donald Trump domestically, and so Indiana is gonna cave. They’ll pass a new map.”
According to the Associated Press, Indiana’s Republican legislative leaders met with former President Donald Trump on Tuesday to discuss potentially joining other GOP-led states in proposing new redistricting maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. After the meeting, Indiana lawmakers such as Republican Sen. Liz Brown posted on X that “Hoosiers deserve to be fairly represented in DC,” adding that Trump understands “what’s at stake if liberal strongholds like CA bend, break and bust the rules to gerrymander their maps.”
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“By the way, I can promise them they’re going to get sued. Then Florida will pass a new map, and they are definitely gonna get sued, and they’re gonna lose, and Missouri’s gonna pass a new map, and they’re gonna get sued, and they may lose. I give it 50-50 whether [Gov.] Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire stands by her proposition that she won’t pass a new map because here’s the thing,” Elias added. “The only thing there is in the Republican Party today is proud MAGA and scared MAGA, and the proud MAGA lead the parade to do what Donald Trump wants.”
“That’s the [Republican Texas Gov. Greg] Abbotts. That’s the [Republican Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis’s. But the scared MAGA wind up doing the same thing,” Elias said. “They’re just scared MAGA, and that’s Indiana. Maybe that’ll be New Hampshire. Maybe lose some other places. But anyone who is banking on Republicans doing the right thing — anything everyone is banking on — Republicans acting in good faith to saving democracy has not learned the lesson of the last several years and certainly not of the last seven months.”
The fight over redistricting erupted between Texas Democrats and Republicans in July after the GOP unveiled the maps, prompting dozens of Democrats to flee the state in an effort to block a vote. While leaving for blue states like Illinois, Democrats faced backlash from Republicans as the state’s Attorney General Ken Paxton warned lawmakers they could face arrest if they didn’t return.
After an over two-week standoff, the Democrats who had eventually returned to Texas, claiming they had at least succeeded in derailing the first special session. But Democrats failed to hold off the vote as the Texas House of Representatives approved the state’s redistricting maps on Aug. 20, with the Senate following on Aug. 23.
In response to Texas’ redistricting, California Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced his own state’s gerrymandering campaign on Aug. 14. The push from Newsom and state Democrats aims to remove about six Republicans from California’s House delegation, transferring redistricting authority from the independent commission to the state Legislature.
Despite Democrats’ enthusiasm, a Politico poll said 64% of Californians favor keeping independent redistricting, while only 36% support handing the power back to lawmakers. A memo from Assembly Republicans also warned that the special election could cost voters at least $235.5 million.
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