At a recent live broadcast, Fox News suddenly stopped to share breaking news from Texas. This news spells trouble for President Trump as he fights to keep control of Congress.
The issue is redistricting — the process of redrawing voting districts. Usually, this happens after the census every ten years. But Texas Democrats say redistricting outside this normal schedule is wrong. They are standing firm against the plan pushed by Republicans and Governor Greg Abbott.
On the eighth day of a standoff, the Texas House of Representatives still could not reach a quorum. This means they do not have enough members present to hold a valid vote. Many Democratic lawmakers have left Texas, traveling to cities like Chicago and New York, refusing to return. This move is meant to block the redistricting vote.
During the broadcast, Fox News hosts Smith and Roberts showed the moment when House Speaker Dustin Burrows tried to call the House into session. But because the Democrats were missing, the quorum was not met, and no business could continue.
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Roberts commented, “That was a very aggressive swing of the gavel there, and apparently this is no quorum, so that means the state business will not proceed.”
He added that Texas Democrats are “showing no signs of backing down,” even though they face growing fines, threats of arrest, and the risk of being kicked out of office.
Fox News then switched to correspondent Brooke Taylor, who reported that the missing lawmakers had still not returned. She explained that Republicans were stepping up efforts to punish the absent Democrats.
After Burrows’ speech warning about possible consequences, Smith and Roberts came back on air. Roberts said the Democrats would have to return home at some point. “I mean, it’s pretty obvious where they are,” he said. “But Texas doesn’t have the power to go get them where they are. They have to be back in the state for that.”
He added, “The standoff is likely to continue for a while. But at some point, those Democrats are going to have to come home. The cat will need to be fed. The dog will need to be let out. So we’ll see.”
The Texas House is scheduled to meet again Tuesday morning. But the Democrats are still expected to be missing.
Until they return, redistricting cannot move forward. This is bad news for President Trump. He is counting on the new district lines to help Republicans keep their slim majority in the House in the 2026 midterm elections.
Governor Greg Abbott has said he plans to keep calling special sessions to push the vote forward.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
