Democrats slam GOP redistricting fight as 'cheating' as Texas Gov. Abbott threatens arrests

Democratic lawmakers connected Sunday defended their colleagues' efforts successful Texas to antagonistic a GOP-led redistricting push, and chided President Donald Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott implicit what they reason is "cheating" and "outrageous."

"[Abbott's] the 1 who is attempting, mid-decade here, astatine a clip when, frankly, each of america are acrophobic astir the aboriginal of democracy, he's virtually helping whittle it distant and licking the boots of his leader, Donald Trump," Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker told NBC News.

Pritzker — whose authorities has go a haven for Texas Democrats protesting the GOP-led effort — rejected the thought that legislature maps successful Illinois are politically gerrymandered, arguing that the maps were redrawn aft the census, which, helium said, is "how it's done successful this country."

"This is ... it's cheating," helium said of the projected Texas redistricting. "Donald Trump is simply a cheater. He cheats connected his wives, helium cheats astatine golf, and present he's trying to cheat the American radical retired of their votes."

The White House did not instantly respond to CNBC's petition for remark connected Pritzker's remarks.

The feud implicit the redrawn legislature maps successful Texas has escalated successful caller days, arsenic Democratic lawmakers near the authorities to forestall Republicans from having a quorum successful the authorities House. In Texas, a quorum is the fig of members that request to beryllium contiguous successful bid to behaviour business, according to the Texas House's website. Two-thirds of the elected members represent a quorum successful each house.

The caller maps could boost Republicans' chances of picking up 5 House seats successful the state, giving the GOP an borderline successful what volition apt beryllium a razor-thin conflict for power of the little enclosure adjacent year.

While Republicans successful Texas property guardant with their bid for caller maps, Democratic lawmakers besides said Sunday that the enactment has "got to combat back" against the redistricting plan.

"Trump is the 1 who came up with the idea," Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who caucuses with Democrats, said connected CNN of redistricting.

"It is undemocratic, it is outrageous," helium said, portion adding that Democrats "have nary choice" but to combat backmost against the effort.

"If Republicans are doing it, you person to respond, it's pathetic, but I deliberation you person to respond," said Sanders, who has opposed gerrymandering successful the past.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said connected Fox News that "these times telephone for warring occurrence with fire," and suggested that the redistricting combat is taking spot due to the fact that Trump is acrophobic astir adjacent year's midterm elections.

"Why are we present today? Because Donald Trump looked astatine the polls for adjacent year," she said.

Abbott, meanwhile, slammed the Democratic lawmakers who fled his authorities and again claimed that they volition beryllium arrested upon return.

"If they amusement backmost up successful the authorities of Texas, they volition beryllium arrested and taken to the Capitol," helium said connected Fox News. "If they privation to evade that arrest, they're going to enactment extracurricular of the authorities of Texas for virtually years."

Abbott besides threatened to support the Texas legislature successful a peculiar league indefinitely until the substance is resolved.

"I'm authorized to telephone a peculiar league each 30 days. It lasts 30 days. And arsenic soon arsenic this 1 is over, I'm gonna telephone different one, past different one, past another, past different one," the politician said.