O’Rourke urges Democrats to fight “fires” in redistricting battles

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) called on his fellow Democrats to fight the “fire” as Republicans move forward in his state to try to change Texas’ congressional boundaries before the 2026 midterm elections.

In an interview with CNN’s “League State” O’Rourke said Democrats need to start playing the same game with Republicans and no longer worry about doing the right thing.

“I think it’s time to match our fire with fire. I think Democrats in the past often care more than they are in power. And we’ve seen Republicans only care about being in power, whatever is right.”

In a rare mid-term re-division effort, Texas lawmakers are expected to consider new congressional boundaries at a special session of the Texas legislature, Republican Governor Greg Abbott said. The effort to remake a map of Texas was carried out at the request of President Trump, which aims to strengthen the Republican slim House majority to ensure Republicans maintain control over the House of Commons for the last two years of their second term.

In a call to Texas Republicans Tuesday morning, the president urged lawmakers to divide the five Democratic seats into Republicans in a way that allows Republicans to divide five Democratic seats.

Trump also said his “okay” in blue countries like New York and California, and it is possible to do so to increase the number of Democrats’ seats.

“I think we’re going to get five. There are some other states and we’re going to get three or four or five more,” Trump said Tuesday. “Texas will be the biggest.”

O’Rourke, who failed to run for Senate, Governor and President, praised California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) for suggesting he could take a similar approach in his state.

“I think Democrats have been so afraid of being called hypocrites or being outside the line of hypocrites or coloring that they absolutely paralyze in the struggle for power in the United States. You can’t see anything else worried about, Donald Trump is breaking the Constitution, the law, the courts, the courts, the courts, the courts, and trying to tear down our democracy before our eyes.

“We have to fight back. We can’t turn over. We can’t play death. We can’t succumb to them because Democrats have been doing it for too long.”

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