As the Alabama Legislature convenes in special session this week to address the state's congressional map, U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Mobile) said the push for redistricting is President Donald Trump's way of tipping the midterm elections in Republicans' favor.
Figures made his comments during an interview with CNN's "Laura Coates Live" on Monday, when asked if Trump was trying to "rig" the elections.
"Absolutely," Figures said. "I think when you look across the board at everything from his approval ratings to the forecasts of election outcomes in the midterm to how unpopular everything from the 'One Big Bill' is to the war on Iran, to fuel prices, to his treatment of farmers and the ag community. Uh, you know, he's grasping for straws. He's doing everything that he can to ensure that Republicans stay in power. And we're unfortunately seeing states, uh, basically bend the knee and do whatever he asks. We saw this start in Texas. We've seen it spread now, with the backing of this Supreme Court ruling, to other states as well."
Trump's approval ratings are currently on track with those of former President Joe Biden at the same time in his presidency, according to Ballotpedia.
Figures said Democrats would have "no choice" but to push back with their own redistricting plans, even if it means "a race to the bottom."
"We're going to continue to push back and call it like we see it. But at the end of the day, uh, I, I'm pretty confident, uh, here in the state of Alabama that our district lines will remain in place," he said. "...This is not what democracy is about. This is not how it should be. This whole attitude of, let's just minimize the voice of our political adversaries, you know, if this is the attitude back during the constitutional convention, we never would have left out with the United States of America. And so, you know, we have to have that realization and come to the table and be Americans."
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