President Donald Trump said the FBI “may have to” get involved to locate Texas Democrats who fled the state to block redrawn U.S. House maps sought by the president.
Trump made the remarks during a news conference on Tuesday after being asked about Republican Senator John Cornyn’s request that the FBI help find and arrest the Democrats.
Newsweek has contacted the White House, the FBI and a spokesperson for the Texas House Democrats for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours.
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Why It Matters
Dozens of Texas House Democrats left the state on August 3 in a bid to stall the redrawn congressional maps that Trump wants before the 2026 midterm elections to bolster Republican chances of preserving its majority in the U.S. House.
Republicans hold an 88-62 majority in the Texas House of Representatives, and the Texas Constitution requires that at least 100 members be present to do business. With at least 51 Democrats absent, the House failed to reach a quorum for a vote on the new maps on Monday and again on Tuesday.
Republicans have made numerous attempts to compel the Democrats back to the state, including by signing civil arrest warrants and mobilizing state troopers. Republican Governor Greg Abbott also ordered the Texas Rangers to investigate possible bribery charges related to how the Democrats are paying for their quorum break, alleging anyone who financially helped them leave the state could be culpable.
What To Know
In a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday, Cornyn urged the agency to “take any appropriate steps to aid in Texas state law enforcement efforts to locate or arrest potential lawbreakers who have fled the state.”
Asked about Cornyn’s request and whether he wants the FBI to locate and arrest the Democrats who left Texas, Trump told reporters: “Well, I think they have abandoned the state. Nobody has seen anything like it even though they’ve done it twice before. And in a certain way it almost looks like they’ve abandoned the state. It looks very bad.”
Pressed again on whether the FBI should get involved, Trump said: “Well, they may have to. They may have to.”
On Tuesday, Abbott asked the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court to remove the state House Democratic Caucus chair, Representative Gene Wu, from office. Wu is among the dozens of Texas House Democrats staying in Illinois.
In 2003, Texas Democrats denied Republicans a quorum to stop efforts to redraw voting maps. And in 2021, Democrats left the state in the final days of the session over an elections bill and new voting restrictions.
Both efforts only delayed the Republican-led measures that were ultimately passed once Democrats eventually returned to Texas.
What People Are Saying
Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas said in the letter to FBI Director Kash Patel: “Out-of-state actors have made public comments about protecting the Texas legislators who are currently hiding out of state from any accountability for their actions. I request the FBI’s assistance, as federal resources are necessary to locate the out-of-state Texas legislators who are potentially acting in violation of the law.”
President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday: “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. 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.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement on Tuesday: “Representative Wu and the other Texas House Democrats have shown a willful refusal to return, and their absence for an indefinite period of time deprives the House of the quorum needed to meet and conduct business on behalf of Texans. Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans, and there must be consequences.”
Texas Representative Gene Wu said in response to Abbott’s petition to the Texas Supreme Court: “My purpose has been clear from the start: to serve my constituents and fight for what’s right, no matter the cost. You will find that my commitment to the people of Texas is unbreakable.”
What Happens Next
Texas Democrats have not said how long they are prepared to hold out, but they have signaled no intention of quickly returning home.
The current special session ends on August 20, but Abbott can keep calling lawmakers back to the Capitol to pass the redistricting bill.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
