Texas is in the throes of a major political standoff.
This weekend, the state’s House Democrats fled in an attempt to block Republicans from passing a new controversial congressional map. It’s a move designed to break quorum, or the minimum attendance needed for the House to conduct business.
If passed, this new congressional map could hand Texas Republicans five more seats, granting them – and by extension, Donald Trump – even more power.
Texas Democratic State Representative James Talarico is one of the lawmakers who fled to Illinois, and he now faces arrest warrants, hefty fines, and potentially losing his seat in the Texas House.
He tells Mehdi, “You don’t fight fire with fire… You fight it with a freaking fire hose. And so what I’m advocating for is to stand up to bullies, to look them in the eye, and not flinch because we all know from our personal experiences, you don’t beat a bully by playing dead… You have to confront them because bullies are a lot weaker than they appear.”
He notes Trump’s influence in the matter, adding that the redistricting comes at the “direct request of the most powerful man in the country because he doesn't want to face consequences for his undemocratic actions.”
Talarico has been touted by Joe Rogan of all people as a future Democratic presidential candidate, but the Texas lawmaker dodges the question of 2028 while telling Mehdi that he is considering running for Senate in 2026.
Watch the full interview above to also hear about whether he thinks Democratic-led states should redistrict in retaliation, his advice for the National Democratic Party, and what this all means for the 2026 midterm elections and beyond.
This conversation was a Substack Live and YouTube Live where Mehdi took audience questions. Be sure to turn your notifications on so you don’t miss the next one!
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