Texas Republican: GOP ‘will never have the White House again' if state lost to Democrats
'I'm here to speak for myself. And what I care about is working to make sure that the will, the interests, the desires and quite frankly, what the voters of Texas deserve to have happen, which is their elected Republican legislature, stand up and do what they want, which is make sure the state of Texas — where the line in the sand for the future of the country,' Harrison said during his Monday night appearance on CNN's 'The Source,' when asked why the redistricting push in Texas, which was approved by President Trump, is taking place.
'There's no doubt about that. As goes Texas, so goes the nation,' he told host Kaitlan Collins. 'If we ever lose Texas to the Democrats, the Republicans will never have the White House again. So, it's incumbent upon us, people like me, in the legislative branch.'
Harrison added, 'If you want to ask the governor a question about what motivated him to do something, feel free to ask him. I mean, he called the special session as a member of the legislature.'
Trump won Texas, which carries 40 Electoral College votes, in the 2024 presidential election by nearly 14 points against former Vice President Harris.
The redistricting push kicked into higher gear on Monday as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered that Texas Democrats, who fled the state, be arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Dozens of state-level Democrats have left the Lone Star State, breaking the state House quorum and looking to remain outside of Texas until the special legislative session, which gaveled last month, ends. The lawmakers are hoping to slow down the GOP's effort to pass a mid-decade redistricting plan, as Trump has said he would like the Republican Party to gain five House seats in the state during next year's midterms.
Democratic governors in other states, including New York, have warned that they might fire back by altering the congressional lines in their states to make them more favorable for their party's candidates.
State Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said the Democrats that fled Texas should be 'swiftly arrested, punished, and face the full force of the law for turning their backs on the people' of Texas.
State House Texas Democrats have argued their action was necessary, accusing the GOP of rigging the forthcoming midterm election.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
40 minutes ago
- NBC News
NATO to coordinate regular and large-scale arms deliveries to Ukraine. Most will be bought in the U.S.
BRUSSELS — NATO has started coordinating regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine after the Netherlands said it would provide air defense equipment, ammunition and other military aid worth 500 million euros ($578 million). Sweden also announced Tuesday it would contribute $275 million to a joint effort along with its Nordic neighbors Denmark and Norway to provide $500 million worth of air defenses, anti-tank weapons, ammunition and spare parts. Two deliveries of equipment, most of it bought in the United States, are expected this month, although the Nordic package is expected to arrive in September. The equipment is supplied based on Ukraine's priority needs on the battlefield. NATO allies then locate the weapons and ammunition and send them on. 'Packages will be prepared rapidly and issued on a regular basis,' NATO said Monday. Air defense systems are in greatest need. The United Nations has said that Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians. Russia's bigger army is also making slow but costly progress along the 620-mile front line. Currently, it is waging an operation to take the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a logistical hub whose fall could allow it to drive deeper into Ukraine. European allies and Canada are buying most of the equipment they plan to send from the United States, which has greater stocks of ready military materiel, as well as more effective weapons. The Trump administration is not giving any arms to Ukraine. The new deliveries will come on top of other pledges of military equipment. The Kiel Institute, which tracks support to Ukraine, estimates that as of June, European countries had provided 72 billion euros ($83 billion) worth of military aid since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, compared to $65 billion in U.S. aid. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said that 'American air defense systems and munitions, in particular, are crucial for Ukraine to defend itself.' Announcing the deliveries Monday, he said Russia's attacks are 'pure terror, intended to break Ukraine.' President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the Netherlands, posting on social media that 'Ukraine, and thus the whole of Europe, will be better protected from Russian terror.' He said the deliveries are coming 'at a time when Russia is trying to scale up its strikes. This will definitely help protect the lives of our people!' Germany said Friday it will deliver two more Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine in the coming days. It agreed to the move after securing assurances that the U.S. will prioritize the delivery of new Patriots to Germany to backfill its stocks. These weapon systems are only made in the U.S. As an organization, NATO provides only non-lethal assistance to Ukraine like uniforms, tents, medical supplies and logistics support. The 32-nation military alliance has mostly sought to protect NATO territory from possible Russian attack and avoid being dragged into a war against a nuclear power. But its support role has expanded since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, even as his administration insists European allies must now take care of their own security and that of their war-ravaged neighbor. Trump has made no public promise of weapons or economic support for Ukraine. Trump said on July 28 that the U.S. is 'going to be sending now military equipment and other equipment to NATO, and they'll be doing what they want, but I guess it's for the most part working with Ukraine.'
CNN
40 minutes ago
- CNN
Maxwell Opposes Release Of Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts - The Arena with Kasie Hunt - Podcast on CNN Podcasts
Maxwell Opposes Release Of Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts The Arena with Kasie Hunt 46 mins The panel talks to Kasie Hunt about a new letter from Ghislaine Maxwell's attorney arguing against the release of the Epstein grand jury transcripts. President Trump's former attorney weighs in. Plus, the Texas governor says he's working to find ways to arrest absent Democrats.
CNN
40 minutes ago
- CNN
Trump: Didn't Speak To DOJ Official About Maxwell Meetings - The Source with Kaitlan Collins - Podcast on CNN Podcasts
Trump: Didn't Speak To DOJ Official About Maxwell Meetings The Source with Kaitlan Collins 46 mins New reporting as top Trump officials are set to meet tomorrow to discuss their Jeffrey Epstein strategy.
