Latest news with #IsaiahMartin
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Texas congressional candidate dragged out, arrested after explosive redistricting hearing: 'It is a shame!'
Print Close By Jasmine Baehr Published July 26, 2025 Tensions boiled over at the Texas Capitol Thursday night, when a Democratic congressional candidate was forcibly removed and arrested during a volatile redistricting hearing. Isaiah Martin, running for Houston's 18th Congressional District, defied repeated warnings to stop speaking after testimony accusing Republicans of rigging the redistricting process to appease President Donald Trump. Footage from the hearing shows Martin collapsing as he was pulled from the room by authorities. "History will NOT remember you for what you have DONE! It is a shame!" he yelled, prompting audible gasps from the crowd. He was charged with resisting arrest, criminal trespass and disrupting a public meeting. RED STATE MAP BATTLE HEATS UP AS TRUMP PUSHES TEXAS PLAN TO RESHAPE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS Martin was released from the Travis County Jail Friday, and all charges were dropped. He later posted a video on X thanking supporters and pledging to continue speaking out. Martin began his testimony Thursday by challenging the legitimacy of the hearing. "It just seems as if many are just sitting here going with their motions, and it makes sense because the game is rigged," he said. He then accused Texas Republicans of gerrymandering at Trump's request. "You gotta get Trump's endorsement. That's the name of the game to be a Republican nowadays," Martin said. "Trump told every single one of you that he needs five seats. ... But the real conversation we should be having ... is that there will be a retaliation for that." Martin cited blue states he claimed are redrawing maps in response. "Gov. Kathy Hochul said that she will be gerrymanding Republicans out," he said. "The same thing is gonna happen in New Jersey." Martin also attacked Texas' leadership over economic issues. "We live in a state that is unaffordable ... property taxes going up ... despite the fact that you Republicans have been in office for nearly 30 straight years," he said. BETO O'ROURKE CALLS FOR DEMOCRATS TO BE 'RUTHLESS' IN PURSUIT OF POWER, BACKS NEWSOM'S GERRYMANDERING PROPOSAL Criticizing the timing of the redistricting process, he added, "After one of the worst mass casualty events in our state's history, you choose to go and gerrymander people out of their seats." Rep. Cody Vasut, the House Redistricting Committee chair, attempted to regain order, but Martin refused to yield. "No, I'm not going to finish. Because I'm ... I'm NOT finished!" Martin then turned his ire toward Trump. "You can thank your failed, senile, dilapidated, Epstein-partying with president for all of the work that we're about to do to every single one of you," he said. "You did this, you caused this and this is the result of you and your work." Vasut instructed state House sergeants to remove Martin. As Martin was dragged from the room, audience members shouted, "Get off of him!" Martin continued shouting, "America will rise up against you!" The committee resumed without commenting on the disruption. Neither Martin's campaign nor Gov. Greg Abbott's office responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment. Abbott has previously described the redistricting effort as a compliance move following court rulings against coalition districts. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In a July 7 letter cited by The Dallas Examiner, the Department of Justice flagged TX‑18 as one of four congressional districts in Texas that may involve unconstitutional racial gerrymandering through "coalition district" configurations. Trump has publicly called on state lawmakers to secure five additional Republican House seats through redistricting. The map remains unfinished, with hearings continuing Saturday in Houston and Monday in Arlington. Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. Print Close URL
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Texas redistricting hearing descends into chaos
Isaiah Martin, a Democrat who is running for the 18th congressional district in Houston, had to be restrained and removed from Thursday's House committee hearing on redistricting after exceeding his time to testify. (Isaiah Martin via Storyful)
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Congressional Candidate, 27, Forcibly Removed from Hearing and Arrested After Criticizing Texas Republicans: 'I'm Not Finished!'
Isaiah Martin, who spent a day in jail, later confirmed the charges were dropped and said he'd 'do it again for the people of Texas" A congressional candidate was forcibly removed from a hearing at the Texas State Capitol and arrested this week, after going over an apparent two-minute time limit to speak as he delivered a statement in opposition to Texas Republicans' redistricting efforts. Congressional District 18 candidate Isaiah Martin, 27, attended a hearing held by the Texas House Congressional Redistricting Committee on Thursday, July 24, when he offered his thoughts on the redistricting efforts in question, calling it 'illegal gerrymandering." According to Austin ABC affiliate KVUE, Gov. Greg Abbott added discussion of a proposed redrawing of congressional districts to the agenda following pressure from the Trump administration. Per The Hill, the redrawing of the state's maps could give the GOP an advantage in the 2026 midterms, as KVUE reported the state's constitution allows the maps to be redrawn at the discretion of both the governor and the Legislature — although it is rare to be done mid-decade. "Many of you that are Republicans, and I'm looking at you, you understand the game. You gotta get Trump's endorsement," Martin said at the beginning of his remarks, before his arrest. "That's the name of the game to be a Republican nowadays. And you know very clearly that Trump told every single one of you that he needs five seats." After he continued past an apparent allotted two-minute speaking time, Rep. Cody Vasut asked the sergeant-at-arms to remove Martin from the hearing. Footage from the scene, which was later shared by Martin's campaign on X, shows the candidate telling Republicans they have "no shame" as his microphone is removed from him. Martin then told the committee that "history might not remember you at all," as two men began to pull him out of the state capitol — with one man appearing to restrain Martin by lying on top of him. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) later confirmed, per KVUE and CBS Austin, that Martin was charged with disrupting a meeting, resisting arrest and criminal trespassing. His arrest took place around 7 p.m. local time, and he was later booked in Travis County Jail. His charges were dropped, per CBS Austin and an update that was shared on Martin's social media. A DPS spokesperson told KVUE that the arrest took place after Martin "refused to obey requests from committee members and subsequent orders from DPS to leave a committee hearing at the Texas State Capitol." The DPS did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for confirmation on July 25. Per KVUE, Martin spent over 24 hours in jail. Martin's brother confirmed in a statement on X that "all charges" against him had been dropped, before Martin shared in a message of his own hours later that he was put in custody for a day because Republicans "were mad I had the AUDACITY to call them cowards to their faces." "They did this because I had the audacity to speak up, and you know what? I'm gonna continue to have that audacity," he said. "Because strongly worded letters won't get us out of this mess. It takes speaking truth to power no matter what the consequences are." Speaking with CBS Austin following his release, Martin reiterated that he would "do it again for the people of Texas." Read the original article on People
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
WATCH: Texas Democrat DRAGGED, Cop Falls on Him in Shocking Scene
A dramatic showdown unfolded inside the Texas Capitol on Thursday as Democratic congressional hopeful Isaiah Martin was forcibly dragged out of a public hearing. The chaos escalated when a security officer fell on top of him, prompting gasps and screams from the crowd. Caught on camera yelling "America will rise up against you!", Martin was arrested — but what happened next shocked everyone. Watch the full clip and find out why charges were suddenly dropped the very next day. Read More
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Texas Dem dragged out of GOP-led redistricting hearing, chaos erupts as Isaiah Martin arrested on cam
Chaos erupted in the Texas Capitol as Democratic congressional candidate Isaiah Martin was forcibly removed and arrested during a heated redistricting hearing. Martin refused to yield the mic during public comment, sparking a dramatic clash with GOP lawmakers. Show more Show less
