President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the FBI may need to intervene and help bring back the Texas Democrat lawmakers who fled the state in a coordinated stunt to block GOP-backed redistricting legislation.
“They may have to. They may have to,” Trump told reporters when asked if federal law enforcement should assist in returning the rogue Democrats. “No, I know they want them back, not only the attorney general, the governor wants them back. If you look, I mean, the governor of Texas is demanding they come back. So, a lot of people are demanding they come back.”
Trump also called out the optics of the lawmakers' decision to flee Texas altogether, instead choosing to seek refuge in deep-blue states. “It’s a bad look,” he said, referring to their travel to liberal strongholds like Illinois and New York. “You can’t just sit it out, you have to go back. You have to fight it out. That’s what elections are all about.”
The president’s comments came just hours after Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, formally urged the FBI to consider action. In a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, Cornyn called on the agency to “take any appropriate steps” to assist state authorities in either finding or arresting the absent lawmakers.
The dramatic walkout by Texas Democrats has brought the Lone Star State’s legislature to a grinding halt. Their flight—deliberately timed—was intended to break the House quorum and prevent Republican lawmakers from passing a new congressional redistricting map during a special legislative session convened by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
Some projections say the GOP stands to gain five U.S. House seats from the redistricting.
Redistricting is a constitutionally mandated process that occurs every 10 years to redraw congressional and legislative boundaries based on updated census data. Republican lawmakers in Texas have pushed for maps that would strengthen GOP representation, aligning with the preferences of Texas voters in many districts. However, Democrats claim the proposed map dilutes minority voting power—a charge Republicans strongly reject as partisan fearmongering.
By fleeing the state, Democrats aimed to paralyze the process, using political theater rather than legislative debate. Gov. Abbott responded swiftly, ordering the arrest of any absent Democrat lawmakers upon their return, citing their constitutional duty and oath of office to participate in the legislative process.
“They abandoned their responsibilities, and they should be held accountable,” Abbott said earlier this week, promising to "use every available resource" to bring them back.
With Trump now weighing in and amplifying GOP leaders' calls for accountability, the redistricting showdown in Texas has become a national flashpoint in the battle over election integrity and legislative authority.
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