President Donald Trump said the FBI “may have to” help arrest Texas Democratic lawmakers to their home state after more than 50 fled to block a Republican redistricting plan that could flip five U.S. congressional seats.
“A lot of people are demanding they come back. You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back,” Trump said at an Aug. 5 press event.
Trump made the remarks when asked by a reporter about Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn’s request earlier in the day for the FBI to “take any appropriate steps to aid in Texas state law enforcement efforts to locate or arrest” the Democratic lawmakers.
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety Aug. 4 to arrest the Democratic lawmakers. His order was designed to force the absconding legislators to comply with civil arrest warrants that state Republican lawmakers voted to issue earlier in the day.
However, it has not been clear how Texas law enforcement would be able to force the Democrats back to Texas when they are in states where local law enforcement might not be willing to execute the warrants. Many of them went to the Chicago area in Illinois, where Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker greeted them. Others went to Boston, Massachusetts and Albany, New York.
“A lot of people are demanding they come back,” Trump said Aug. 5. “You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back.”
Contributing: Savannah Kuchar – USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says FBI may arrest Texas Democrats who fled over redistricting
