Update: Texas Dems Face Arrest Threats for Defending Democracy

This is a powerful moment for us to stand united behind public servants fighting like hell to protect our democracy from fascists

Last week, I wrote about the courage of Texas Democrats in standing against Governor Abbott’s brazen and racist redistricting scheme—a scheme designed to strip millions of Black and Latino Texans of their voting power. Since then, the situation has escalated in truly chilling ways. This is an opportunity for us to rally around public servants fighting with their all to protect our democracy. Here’s what’s happened since, and how you can help elevate their work. Let’s Address This.

Texas Democrat James Talarico so effectively stumped Fox News host Will Cain about Republican efforts to gerrymander congressional districts during a Tuesday interview, that Cain was forced to abruptly end the interview. See interview below.

Texas Governor and AG Lose It

In the past several days, Governor Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have taken their authoritarian tactics to the next level—openly threatening to arrest Democratic lawmakers, forcibly remove them from office, and even send law enforcement to hunt them down. These are all things they have zero actual authority to do, but they threaten these actions anyway because that is what fascists do when challenged. The “crime” of these Democrats? Refusing to provide the quorum needed to pass an illegal, discriminatory map that would lock in Republican control for decades to come.

This is not just about Texas politics. This is a warning shot to the entire country. If Abbott and Paxton succeed, they will have set a precedent for criminalizing dissent—making it punishable by arrest for lawmakers to take a stand against authoritarian rule.

But Texas Democrats aren’t backing down. In a powerful press release, they responded to Abbot and Paxton, making it clear they will not be intimidated. They are rejecting Abbott’s racist strategy and standing up for every voter whose rights are under attack. They are showing America that when fascism comes to your doorstep, you fight it with everything you’ve got.

Why This Matters

This fight is about more than maps. It’s about whether our democracy survives in the face of open, unapologetic authoritarianism. Abbott, Paxton, and the whole Texas MAGA crew are proving that they will break the law, violate the Texas Constitution, and use the machinery of the state to cling to power. And if they succeed in Texas, they will take this fascist strategy national. And right now, they are betting that fear and fatigue will silence opposition.

They are wrong. We cannot get tired. And we cannot be silent.

And you can help prove these MAGA fascists wrong by donating any amount in your capacity to support Texas Democrats against Abbot’s (and ultimately Donald Trump’s) brazen and fascist power grab.

The history of democracy is the history of people power—ordinary citizens linking arms and refusing to yield to injustice. From Selma to Standing Rock, from suffragists to civil rights marchers, we have always won when we’ve stood together.

Texas State Rep James Talarico drove this point home in a Fox interview this week—an interview so brutal for Fox News that the host was forced to end it early. WATCH:

The facts remain. Democrats voted unanimously to ban gerrymandering. MAGAs voted unanimously to allow gerrymandering. Democrats voted unanimously for the Voting Rights Act. MAGAs voted unanimously against the Voting Rights Act. If MAGAs could win elections on ideas they wouldn't be banning fair elections altogether.

We beat fascism by fighting it everywhere it tries to take root. Today, that fight is in Texas. Let’s make sure the people on the frontlines know they are not alone. Yes, the forces against us are ruthless. But if we match their ruthlessness with courage, unity, and relentless organizing, we will win again. The future of Texas—and the nation—depends on it.

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