Former President Barack Obama is once again siding with far-left theatrics over responsible governance. In a recent Zoom call, he praised a group of Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled the Lone Star State to block a Republican-led redistricting bill, hailing their controversial actions as “inspiring.”
According to Texas State Rep. Gene Wu, chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, Obama’s virtual meeting with the AWOL lawmakers left them feeling “encouraged” and reaffirmed in their efforts to “fight for democracy.” Wu made the comments on X following the meeting, adding that the Democrats “remain committed to fighting for democracy, in Texas & across the country.” Ironically, they’re doing so by refusing to participate in the democratic legislative process.
An Obama spokesperson confirmed the meeting, stating the former president “lauded their fight against Republican efforts to enact an even more egregious gerrymander in Texas ahead of the midterms.” He also applauded them for supposedly “inspiring others with their actions,” portraying their legislative sabotage as part of a larger effort to preserve “free and fair elections.”
The reality, however, tells a different story. The bill in question, supported by President Donald Trump and Texas Republicans, is designed to reflect shifting population growth and could deliver five additional congressional seats to the GOP. Redistricting, after all, is a constitutional duty carried out by elected legislatures across the country—hardly the authoritarian overreach Democrats are pretending it to be.
Over 50 Democratic lawmakers fled Texas in July, effectively halting the legislative process by denying the House the quorum required to vote on the redistricting plan. This move, widely criticized by conservatives and legal experts alike, has sparked a wave of backlash. Republican leaders in Texas have responded with legal action to compel the legislators’ return and have floated the possibility of removing them from office if they continue to abandon their responsibilities.
Even more eyebrow-raising is the Democrats’ demand to only return to Texas if the legislature agrees to adjourn with no further sessions or if California redraws its own districts in a partisan attempt to “neutralize” the GOP gains in Texas. In other words, they’re trying to dictate the legislative calendar of two states from hiding.
In a press conference held in Illinois alongside Governor J.B. Pritzker, Rep. Wu doubled down on the Democrats’ tactics. He told ABC News that having Obama speak with them was evidence that their actions have broad support. “When Texas House Democrats stand up and fight back, we don’t stand alone,” Wu claimed, alleging that Republicans were engaged in attacks on “the foundation of our democracy.”
Wu further accused Texas Republicans—led by Governor Greg Abbott—of engaging in “intimidation tactics,” claiming that their Zoom meeting with Obama was held from an “undisclosed location” due to “Republican threats and surveillance.” A dramatic claim, lacking evidence, but certainly effective in stirring media sympathy.
Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom is jumping into the fray, announcing plans to redraw his state’s congressional districts to cancel out the GOP gains in Texas. This raw partisan maneuver is being framed as a counterattack on Republican redistricting, further fueling an interstate arms race of gerrymandering.
Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, swiftly responded to the California move with characteristic clarity: “If California eliminates all its Republican districts, Texas should do the same.” His message was simple: if Democrats want to turn redistricting into an all-out political war, conservatives are ready to fight fire with fire.
In the end, what Democrats call “a fight for democracy” increasingly looks like a refusal to accept electoral consequences and constitutional processes. Republicans in Texas are pursuing their legislative duties, while Democrats run, hide, and livestream their defiance. With midterms on the horizon, voters will soon decide whether these political theatrics are heroic—or simply a dereliction of duty dressed in moral rhetoric.
