The modern Democratic party has just shown its true colors in Texas, and it is a disgusting spectacle of cowardice and hypocrisy.
When faced with a legislative debate on new congressional maps that they knew they would lose, a majority of the Texas House Democrats didn’t stand and fight for their constituents. They didn’t argue their case. They packed their bags, abandoned their posts, and fled the state like fugitives to shut down the entire government.
This is not a “protest.” It is a dereliction of duty. It is an insurrection against the democratic process. And thank God Texas has a real leader in Governor Greg Abbott, who has responded with the full force of the law by ordering their arrest.
An Insurrection Against Democracy
Let’s call this what it is: a political temper tantrum. Because they couldn’t get their way, dozens of elected officials decided to break the quorum, effectively holding the entire legislative process hostage.
And where did these supposed defenders of democracy flee to? To the heavily gerrymandered blue state of Illinois, among other places. You cannot make up this level of hypocrisy. They are holding press conferences in a state gerrymandered to protect Democrats in order to complain about a Republican effort to redraw maps they claim are unfair. It’s a pathetic joke.
Law and Order Leadership in Texas
While the Democrats play their childish games, the adults in Texas are restoring order. Governor Greg Abbott refused to let these “delinquent Democrats” get away with it.
After the House Speaker issued civil arrest warrants, Gov. Abbott did what any strong leader would do: he ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to “locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans.”
This isn’t tyranny; this is accountability. These individuals took an oath to do a job, and they abandoned it. Gov. Abbott is simply enforcing the law and ensuring that the government the people of Texas elected can actually function.
The Swamp Rushes to Defend the Cowards
The national Democratic party, of course, is cheering on this anti-democratic stunt. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries smugly dismissed the governor’s warnings as “all hat, no cattle”—a taunt that looks pretty foolish now that arrest warrants are out.
Meanwhile, Governors Gavin Newsom of California and Kathy Hochul of New York are threatening to “fight fire with fire” by redrawing their own states’ maps in retaliation. This is a stunning admission from the leaders of two of the most gerrymandered states in the country. Their only response to losing a debate is to threaten to cheat even harder.
This episode reveals the core of the modern Democratic party: they only believe in democracy when they are winning. The moment they are in the minority, they will try to burn the entire system to the ground to get their way.
Thankfully, Texas is not a state run by weaklings. Gov. Abbott is standing firm for the rule of law, and these AWOL lawmakers will be held accountable.
