Cornyn: FBI to assist locating Democrats opposed to Texas GOPs redistricting scheme
MSNBC23 hrs
Cornyn: FBI Will Help Locate Texas Democrats Who Fled State
Above: U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the Hart Senate Office Building on April 7, 2025. Image copyright: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
The exiled Democrats abandoned their constitutional duties and the taxpayers who elected them. They're using a political stunt to block legitimate legislative business while accepting outside funding that could constitute bribery. Federal involvement is necessary since state law enforcement can't cross state lines to retrieve these derelict officials.
Democratic narrative
Texas is dangerously weaponizing federal law enforcement against elected officials. The FBI has no legal grounds to arrest lawmakers for exercising their legislative rights and could wind up being guilty of trafficking legislators across state lines. Republicans are grandstanding and intimidating political opponents through authoritarian tactics.