ABC's George Stephanopoulos PLEADS for Dems to Stop Texas Redistricting #Political
ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, in an interview with former Attorney General Eric Holder, sounded almost despondent while asking whether Democrats could do anything to stop the redistricting process currently underway in Texas. His question on the matter sounded like a plea.
Watch as Holder discusses redistricting free of irony, with no pushback from Stephanopoulos:
“Is there any way to stop it?” George Stephanopoulos to @EricHolder, his only guest on @ThisWeekABC to discuss congressional redistricting by Texas. pic.twitter.com/41j9stGZqO
— Brent Baker 🇺🇲🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) August 3, 2025
ERIC HOLDER: Our democracy is threatened. Our democracy is really threatened by what the Republicans are proposing to do in Texas right now.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Is there any way to stop it?
HOLDER: Well, I think there are a number of ways in which we can try to stop it. If you look at the people who have testified at the hearings, 100-1, people have testified against it. Editorial boards in the media in Texas have opined against it. The polling shows that the people in Texas are, in fact, against it. So, I think that's one of the ways in which you try to stop it from actually happening. And then, if they put in place this really unbelievable gerrymandering -- midcycle gerrymandering, we have the capacity to bring litigation. And we already were in litigation against the state of Texas for the gerrymandering that they did in 2020. This really exacerbates that which they’ve already done and strengthens the case that we have brought. So, there are mechanisms that we can try to use. And in addition to that, I think that responsible Democrats in other states have to take into account the threat to our democracy, the need to preserve our democracy so we can ultimately try to heal it. And I would hope that they will take steps that are, again, as I said, temporary but responsible.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And we’re seeing talk about that in California. We’re seeing talk about that in New York as well. But those attempts are more long shots, aren't they?
There was zero pushback from Stephanopoulos on Holder’s proposal that Democrats’ retaliatory redistricting be “temporary”, which is a laughable prospect. And let’s face it, no conversation on redistricting can be taken seriously that doesn’t also mention Illinois, California, Washington or Oregon (among others). This one didn’t either, except for Holder’s praise of California’s redistricting commission which already redrew Republicans out of any meaningful House representation.
The segment is notable for its non-mention mention of the Russia Hoax doc drop. Watch as Stephanopoulos carefully avoids any mention of the substantive details of the matter:
Stephanopoulos with a masterclass in anti-news, referencing the Russia Hoax doc drop in the most ambiguous way so as to set Eric Holder up to respond. Textbook instance of the old @iowahawkblog maxim: "Journalism is about covering important stories. With a pillow, until they stop… pic.twitter.com/GKYLzc8OmL
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) August 3, 2025
STEPHANOPOULOS: On another matter, we’ve also seen President Trump accuse the president you served, President Obama, of treason. Suggests he was guilty of criminal acts. It appears that there are investigations now of several former employees who worked under the Obama administration. What's your response to that?
HOLDER: Well, this is a weaponization of the Justice Department and the law enforcement capacities of the federal government. It’s also an attempt to deflect attention from that which really afflicts the president and his administration right now, which is the release of the Epstein files. He’s pointing at a whole bunch of different things. You know, let's accuse President Obama of treason. Let's change the name of the, you know, of the Washington football team. There's a wide variety of things he’s trying to get people to look over there as opposed to confronting that which is in front of the American people right now, which is the release of the Epstein files. But it also goes back to this redistricting thing. You know, if you have a United States House of Representatives that remains compliant to do that which the president wants to do, irrespective of what their responsibilities are, you end up with what we saw there, where a bipartisan part of the House of Representatives wanted to vote to release the Epstein files. And what did the compliant leadership of the House do? They went into recess so that a vote could never be -- happen. That is what they're trying to do through the Texas -- through the Texas gerrymandering.
The media won’t substantively touch this story with a 10-foot pole, except as a narrative device. In this instance, as an opportunity for Holder to dismiss it as a distraction from other events of the day, including the aforementioned gerrymandering. Otherwise, there is no serious effort to cover the ongoing disclosures. In lieu of actual coverage, there is an effort to anti-cover this story.
There was a pro forma reference to the Epstein Files, but the segment as a whole served little purpose other than to make it plain to viewers that Texas’ redistricting is very, very, very bad while ignoring abuses elsewhere. Exit question: how badly will the media melt down if Florida goes into redistricting special session?
Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned segment, as aired on ABC This Week on Sunday, August 3rd, 2025:
LLOYD DOGGETT: It’s not a Texas map, it is a Trump map. It was not requested by any Republican or any Democrat in Texas; it was imposed by President Trump who has a stranglehold on Congress and the only question here is whether he also has a stranglehold on this Texas legislature.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Texas Republicans advanced a plan to redraw their congressional maps on Saturday, trying to shift five seats to the GOP before the midterms. The rare move to redraw the map for the second time in a decade has sparked an outcry from Democrats across the country, who are now threatening to respond in kind. Let's talk about that now with Eric Holder, Chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, Former Attorney General under President Obama. Thank you for joining us this morning. Mr. Holder. You've been leading an effort to stop gerrymandering. Now, you say it's time to fight fire with fire. Why the turnaround?
ERIC HOLDER: Well, I think we have to understand that the nature of the threat that has been put upon the country through what they're trying to do in Texas has really increased the danger to our democracy. And as a result of that, we've got to do things that perhaps in the past I would not have supported. This is an authoritarian move by the White House to try to make sure that they can rig the election, the midterm elections in 2026. And so, I think that a Democratic response that is responsible, that is responsive, and that is temporary, is appropriate given these -- given these facts.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You saw what Karl Rove, the former Republican strategist has said. He has said, “We've always had partisan redistricting, thus it ever was, thus it ever will be.” How is this different?
HOLDER: Well, you know, simply because this is something that has afflicted the nation for, you know, an extended period of time doesn’t mean that it’s right. What we’re seeing now is an attempt by The White House to insulate itself from any kind of congressional scrutiny, any kind of congressional oversight, to make sure that Donald Trump remains the authoritarian figure that he has become. We have a compliant Congress, and he wants to ensure that given the fact that they passed this bill that is unpopular, that takes health care away from people, that gives tax breaks to billionaires, and it puts at risk the Republican majority, he wants to ensure that he continues to have that compliant Republican House of Representatives. And that, I think, is something that we need to take into account. Our democracy is threatened. Our democracy is really threatened by what the Republicans are proposing to do in Texas right now.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Is there any way to stop it?
HOLDER: Well, I think there are a number of ways in which we can try to stop it. If you look at the people who have testified at the hearings, 100-1, people have testified against it. Editorial boards in the media in Texas have opined against it. The polling shows that the people in Texas are, in fact, against it. So, I think that's one of the ways in which you try to stop it from actually happening. And then, if they put in place this really unbelievable gerrymandering -- midcycle gerrymandering, we have the capacity to bring litigation. And we already were in litigation against the state of Texas for the gerrymandering that they did in 2020. This really exacerbates that which they’ve already done and strengthens the case that we have brought. So, there are mechanisms that we can try to use. And in addition to that, I think that responsible Democrats in other states have to take into account the threat to our democracy, the need to preserve our democracy so we can ultimately try to heal it. And I would hope that they will take steps that are, again, as I said, temporary but responsible.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And we’re seeing talk about that in California. We’re seeing talk about that in New York as well. But those attempts are more long shots, aren't they?
HOLDER: Well, you know, they’re -- it will depend on the state. But I think one thing’s interesting. You know, what they’re trying to do in Texas is simply impose a new map on -- an unpopular new map on the people of -- of Texas. To do it in California, you actually have to go to the people and ask them to suspend that which they have in place, which is a really well-functioning, independent redistricting committee. So, the people will have a voice in what California does. The people do not have a voice, a meaningful voice it appears, so far in Texas.
STEPHANOPOULOS: On another matter, we’ve also seen President Trump accuse the president you served, President Obama, of treason. Suggests he was guilty of criminal acts. It appears that there are investigations now of several former employees who worked under the Obama administration. What's your response to that?
HOLDER: Well, this is a weaponization of the Justice Department and the law enforcement capacities of the federal government. It’s also an attempt to deflect attention from that which really afflicts the president and his administration right now, which is the release of the Epstein files. He’s pointing at a whole bunch of different things. You know, let's accuse President Obama of treason. Let's change the name of the, you know, of the Washington football team. There's a wide variety of things he’s trying to get people to look over there as opposed to confronting that which is in front of the American people right now, which is the release of the Epstein files. But it also goes back to this redistricting thing. You know, if you have a United States House of Representatives that remains compliant to do that which the president wants to do, irrespective of what their responsibilities are, you end up with what we saw there, where a bipartisan part of the House of Representatives wanted to vote to release the Epstein files. And what did the compliant leadership of the House do? They went into recess so that a vote could never be -- happen. That is what they're trying to do through the Texas -- through the Texas gerrymandering.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So, the -- so, finally, you would release the files if you were attorney general right now?
HOLDER: Yeah. I mean, take into account, you know, the privacy interest of various people, certainly of the victims uppermost. But there is investigative material that can certainly be released, that should be released. The focus shouldn't be on grand jury material because there are a whole bunch of problems with respect to the release of grand jury material. But with regard to investigative files that are in the possession of the Justice Department and the FBI, those materials should be released.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Eric Holder, thanks for your time this morning.
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