
Pelosi: Texas proposed House lines ‘undermining the diversity that we need to have' in Congress
'Let me just say that what you just described was the elimination of many minority seats in Texas, and that's unfortunate, because the gerrymandering that they're doing is also undermining the diversity that we need to have in the Congress,' Pelosi told CNN's Jake Tapper on 'The Lead.'
On Wednesday, Texas Republicans introduced a suggested set of new House lines, placing their party closer to gaining five seats in 2026. The freshly proposed map will likely mostly directly impact lawmakers situated near or in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area, Austin, Houston and the southern border.
Democrats are hungry to regain power in Congress after their losses last November, which have left them debating what caused them to fail in that election.
Later in Tapper's show, he interviewed current House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who said that his party will 'defy history when we grow the majority in the House' in next year's midterm elections.
'We have a solid, hardworking Republican majority in the House right now — and the Senate — we're delivering for the people. And I'm very excited to go out and tell that story,' Johnson told Tapper.
'I'm very excited about the midterm election. You know that we're going to defy history when we grow the majority in the House, because it's only twice in the last 90 years that a sitting president has picked up seats for his party in that first election cycle, but we're going to do it this time,' the Louisiana Republican added.

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USA Today
16 minutes ago
- USA Today
Trump praises Sydney Sweeney ad, but does he know American Eagle is super WOKE?
Sydney Sweeney may be a registered Republican, but I have discovered that American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. is – and it pains me to write this – incredibly, unconscionably woke. President Donald Trump took time away from making America great again to praise the recent American Eagle jeans ad starring Sydney Sweeney, hailing it for not being 'WOKE.' But I have an urgent message for President Trump: SIR, YOU HAVE FALLEN INTO A WOKENESS TRAP THAT I ASSUME WAS SET BY RADICAL LEFTISTS! If you're a patriotic MAGA supporter like me who has been applauding the company for triggering the libs with its Sweeney ad, which features the 'Euphoria' star talking about having 'good jeans,' you might want to sit down. I have discovered that American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. is – and it pains me to write this – incredibly, unconscionably woke. American Eagle used the Sydney Sweeney ad to lure Trump into a woke trap! The company clearly tried to avoid wokeness detection by avoiding the usual red-flag DEI and instead calling its anti-American policy 'IDEA,' which stands for 'Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access.' AEO's corporate website is riddled with wildly liberal ideas like this: 'Difference and individuality make AEO stronger, higher-performing and more innovative.' Opinion: MAGA is realizing Trump lies. How can they trust anything he says on Epstein? There are sentences like this that absolutely reek of the kind of inclusivity President Trump and his administration have been working so hard to defeat: 'A sense of belonging is critical for associates to bring their whole, authentic selves to work.' Authentic selves? Where am I, in some blue-state coffee shop surrounded by communist libs talking about their feelings? MAGA world has rallied around Sweeney and American Eagle Given the way my fellow MAGA Republicans reacted to the Sweeney blue-jeans ad, I thought American Eagle was a company I could support. The sensible right saw a few people on the left claiming that the 'good jeans' ad was messaging that a blond, blue-eyed white woman was genetically superior. So everyone from Fox News to Vice President JD Vance got their dander up and slammed the leftist ninnies. 'So you have a pretty girl doing a jeans ad and they can't help but freak out,' Vance said on a podcast recently. 'It reveals a lot more about them than it does us.' Right on! It was clear, at that point, that all reasonable Republicans should wear American Eagle jeans to prove their Americanness. That's why I went out and bought 20 pairs of them, confident that they would protect the bottom half of my body from wokeness. Trump praises 'Republican' Sweeney and says her jeans ad is 'HOTTEST' Then, on Aug. 4, the man himself, President Donald J. Trump, took to Truth Social to hail Sweeney as 'a registered Republican' who 'has the 'HOTTEST' ad out there.' His post concluded with: 'Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be.' BOOM! To celebrate, I put a second pair of American Eagle jeans on over the pair I was already wearing. Opinion: Trump is unpopular, polls show, and he's building an America most Americans hate Everything seemed perfect until I learned the truth about AEO. Turns out American Eagle is as woke as the rest of the lefties I saw that the company celebrated – gulp – Pride Month. I found the company's nefarious IDEA policy. I came across a 2022 AEO post that read: 'At AEO, we celebrate the diversity of one through the inclusion of many. Throughout the month of June, we will be celebrating associates who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community – highlighting their accomplishments, learning about their unique roles and hearing about their experience at AEO!' My two pairs of jeans almost fell off. When I saw an AEO brand talking about 'systemic racism,' my jeans fell off And then I found that back in 2020, the month after George Floyd was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis, one of AEO's brands, Aerie, posted, 'We stand with the Black community,' writing that 'THE LIVES OF ALL BLACK PEOPLE MATTER' and that 'the more we understand systemic racism the more we can take action.' I referred to the MAGA-branded WOKE-to-English dictionary that I wrote and sell on Etsy, and sure enough, that's woke. Those monsters at American Eagle clearly recruited Sweeney, an innocent Republican, and used her to lure President Trump, Fox News and the entire MAGA movement into supporting a company that is, pardon my language, WOKE AF!! It's like we can't trust corporations to be honest about anything I guess I can take a little comfort knowing this also swings back at the handful of libs who got riled up about the Sweeney ad in the first place and condemned American Eagle as right-wing eugenicists. It's almost as if corporations insincerely play both sides of the fence, benefit from controversy of any sort and don't really have any strong beliefs outside of making money. Didn't see that coming. Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @ and on Facebook at


Politico
19 minutes ago
- Politico
Trump-Schumer standoff heads for fall rematch
'Sooner or later, Donald Trump — Mr. 'Art of the Deal,' or so he claims — is going to have to learn that he has to work with Democrats if he wants to get deals, good deals, that help the American people,' Schumer said late Saturday night as the Senate prepared to leave town for the summer. 'Going at it alone will be a failed strategy.' Trump's decision to temporarily abandon his confirmations push rather than give in to what he called 'political extortion' from Schumer allowed the embattled Democratic leader to do a pre-recess victory lap after taking heat from the party base for months. Schumer came under fierce criticism in March for helping to advance a shutdown-avoiding spending bill written solely by Republicans. He warned at the time that a shutdown would only empower Trump and that the dynamic would be different come September as, he predicted, Trump became more unpopular. Nine other members of his caucus joined him. Trump initially urged Republicans to stay in Washington until all of the roughly 150 pending nominees were confirmed — a demand that could have essentially erased the Senate's planned four-week recess. But Schumer and Democrats demanded that Trump unfreeze congressionally approved spending in return for consenting to the swift approval of some nominees. Trump would not pay the price. In a post where he blasted 'Senator Cryin' Chuck Schumer,' Trump instructed senators to go home. Republicans flirted with adjourning the Senate to let Trump make recess appointments, but that would have required recalling the House — and reviving the Trump-centered drama over the Jeffrey Epstein files. Instead, they are vowing to pursue a rules change later this year to quickly push Trump's nominees through the Senate. Schumer relished the Truth Social post, putting a poster-sized version on display next to him as he spoke to reporters Saturday night and comparing it to a 'fit of rage.' He kept the heat on Monday, joining with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to demand a so-called 'four corners' meeting with Thune and Johnson to discuss a government funding strategy lest a government shutdown hit Oct. 1. (Republicans, who accuse Schumer of 'breaking' the funding process, haven't responded.) Though Schumer and Thune have had informal talks about September, they haven't delved beyond the broad strokes. The South Dakota Republican, asked about Trump and Schumer, predicted the two will have an 'evolving relationship.' 'At some point, obviously, there are certain things they are just going to have to figure out, because on some of these things where we need 60 [votes] there are going to have to be conversations,' Thune said in a brief interview.


Politico
25 minutes ago
- Politico
Trump and Schumer head for a high-stakes rematch
IN TODAY'S EDITION:— Shutdown deal hinges on Trump and Schumer— Jeffries calls for redistricting counterattack— GOP's megabill sales pitch meets early jeers The high-stakes battle to keep the federal government open past Sept. 30 will depend on two men coming to terms: Donald Trump and Chuck Schumer. If last week's clash is any indication, it won't be easy. As Jordain Carney reports, despite decades of history between the president and Senate minority leader, their relationship is now almost nonexistent. The pair haven't had a one-on-one meeting since Trump's second inauguration, nor did they speak directly as negotiations unraveled over a pre-summer-recess nominations package, according to two people granted anonymity. There's concern on Capitol Hill about what is to come in September when, inevitably, Schumer mulls a Democratic filibuster and Trump debates whether to sign any shutdown-averting bill. 'It would be better if those two negotiated,' Sen. Kevin Cramer said of the pair. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Cramer said, was left to act as 'arbitrator' ferrying between the 'bare-knuckled' New Yorkers. The failure of negotiations was fueled by the White House's hesitation to unfreeze congressionally approved spending in exchange for fast-tracking Trump's nominees. Democrats think the onus is on Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson to get Trump to come to the table in the looming shutdown talks. In closed-door caucus meetings, Democrats have been gaming out scenarios and discussing what demands to make in exchange for their votes to fund the government. Sen. Elissa Slotkin said at a town hall Monday she wouldn't vote for the funding bill in September unless Republicans 'do something to restore some of the cuts' related to health care included in the recently passed megabill. Thune acknowledges that direct negotiations between Trump and Schumer are going to be essential to any deal. 'At some point ... on some of these things where we need 60 [votes], there are going to have to be conversations,' he said in a brief interview. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING. Email us: crazor@ mmccarthy@ and bguggenheim@ THE LEADERSHIP SUITE Jeffries calls for 'extraordinary response' to Texas redistricting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Texas' attempt to redistrict an 'all hands on deck' moment for Democrats and showed his support for Democratic governors who are exploring new map options. 'This moment does require, you know, an extraordinary response because this is an extraordinary act,' Jeffries told CNN's Wolf Blitzer Monday. Jeffries said he appreciated the efforts of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who are discussing redistricting options in their states to counter the Texas GOP's redistricting plan, done at Trump's behest. Democrats in the Texas legislature fled the state over the weekend to blue states, including New York, in an attempt to block Republicans. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Democrats 'forfeited their seats' by leaving the state. Jeffries called Abbott's comments 'idle threats' and said he is 'all hat, no cattle.' 'It's an all-hands-on-deck moment for us,' Jeffries said. 'That means House Democrats, Senate Democrats, Democratic governors, Democratic members of the state legislature, Democratic attorney generals, but most importantly, the American people.' GOP's megabill sales pitch meets early jeers The House Republican push to sell Trump's megabill over August recess hit an early speed bump during Rep. Mike Flood's town hall Monday night. Flood endured loud boos during the Q&A at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln after he deployed such GOP talking points as, 'If you choose not to work, you do not receive free health care,' and 'This bill protects Medicaid from the future.' Much of the pushback revolved around whether Republicans were willing to challenge any aspects of Trump's agenda. 'Who do you work for?' one audience member asked. The contentious town hall came after the state Democratic Party advertised the event on social media, encouraging attendees to ask about health care cuts. POLICY RUNDOWN RSC TO HOLD 'RECONCILIATION 2.0' BRIEFING — The House Republican Study Committee will host GOP staff Wednesday for a discussion on crafting a second megabill, according to an invite seen by Benjamin. The briefing will be held in-person, and aides will hear from leaders of the Economic Policy Innovation Center, a conservative think tank, including executive vice president Brittany Madni, director of budget policy Matthew Dickerson and senior analyst in fiscal policy David Ditch. The RSC kicked off its 'Reconciliation 2.0' working group last month to help develop recommendations for another party-line domestic policy package, which Republicans want to consider this fall. TREASURY NOMS HELD UP OVER GREEN CREDITS — Sens. Chuck Grassley and John Curtis have placed holds on three of Trump's Treasury nominees in protest of the administration's effort to curtail renewable energy projects, Kelsey Tamborrino and Josh Siegel report. They include the nominations of Brian Morrisey for general counsel, Francis Brooke for assistant secretary and Jonathan McKernan for undersecretary. It marks a significant escalation in efforts by some Senate Republicans to ensure that the administration adheres to more flexible guidelines around solar and wind tax credits. Trump issued an executive order in July that appeared to make it more difficult to access those credits — something members of the House Freedom Caucus demanded in exchange for their votes on the megabill. The credits were established by the Democrats' 2022 climate law but have been benefiting many red districts and states. Concerned senators have so far been unable to schedule meetings with administration officials to clarify the consequences of Trump's latest actions. CBO'S FINAL MEGABILL SCORE — The Congressional Budget Office estimates the megabill will increase the federal deficit by $4.1 trillion, Jennifer Scholtes reports. The legislation would increase interest payments on the federal debt by $718 billion over a decade — a considerable increase from the $440 billion the nonpartisan congressional scorekeeper estimated back in June. Republicans, however, have largely dismissed CBO's findings surrounding the massive tax and spending package, arguing the scores don't adequately consider economic growth juiced from the permanent extension of Trump's expiring tax cuts. Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E: THE BEST OF THE REST Democrats Plan to Spend Tens of Millions of Dollars to Fund Hundreds of Content Creators, from Nick Gilbertson at Breitbart Mitch McConnell's legacy comes under fire in Kentucky race to replace him in the Senate, from Bruce Schreiner at AP THE CARRYOUT Welcome back to your Inside Congress hosts' favorite recess activity: sharing lawmakers' Capitol Hill food recommendations. Rep. Greg Stanton said he's a fan of Longworth's chicken Caesar salad — just make sure to add jalapeños. He said it's his go-to on a fly-out day. What's your favorite fly-out day meal? Email us: mmccarthy@ and crazor@ CAMPAIGN STOP MACE IS IN — Rep. Nancy Mace has officially entered the South Carolina gubernatorial race. She joins a crowded GOP primary that includes fellow Rep. Ralph Norman, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson, the son of Rep. Joe Wilson. AND SO IS DEREK DOOLEY — Former college football coach Derek Dooley entered the crowded Republican contest in Georgia for the chance to challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff, Brakkton Booker reports. GOP Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter are already in the race. Several Georgia Republicans told Brakkton that Dooley is not well known within the state's political circles and was recruited by Gov. Brian Kemp. The son of the famous University of Georgia coach Vince Dooley, Derek previously coached at the University of Tennessee and Louisiana Tech. MUSK-BACKED GROUP PROMOTES MEGABILL — Building America's Future, a dark-money group that has been supported by Elon Musk, is shelling out more than $1 million to promote White House wins including the megabill, Gregory Svirnovskiy reports. The group doesn't agree with Musk's characterization of the bill as 'a disgusting abomination.' The Tesla CEO promised to fund primary challenges to Republicans who supported it. Generra Peck, a senior adviser to the group, said 'we could not be more proud to stand with an administration and GOP Congress that is truly building a brighter future for America.' CAPITOL HILL INFLUENCE The Information Technology Industry Council is beefing up its lobbying team with a pair of former Republican Hill aides, POLITICO Influence reports. Stephanie Patel, a former staffer for the Senate Commerce Committee, and Noah Barger, former deputy chief of staff to Rep. Mike Bost, will be directors of government affairs for the trade association, whose members include Google, Apple, Amazon, Anthropic, Intel, Adobe, Microsoft and Meta. JOB BOARD The Center for Strategic and International Studies is launching a new cyber task force to be led by Josh Stiefel, a former professional staff member with the House Armed Services Committee. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ryan Wrasse of Thune's office (4-0) … former Rep. Mike Doyle … Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón … Blake Masters … Nick Raineri … Crooked Media's Matt Berg … Kristofer Eisenla … Boston Globe's Jim Puzzanghera … Meta's Monique Dorsainvil … Cicely Simpson … Molly Donlin of Regent Strategies … Caroline Ehlich … Mark Brunner of PsiQuantum … Katie Vlietstra Wonnenberg of Public Private Strategies TRIVIA MONDAY'S ANSWER: Frank Gallegos correctly answered that Theodore Roosevelt was the first U.S. president to fly in a plane. TODAY'S QUESTION, from Mia: Who was the first president to fly in a plane while serving as president? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@