Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has sharply criticized President Donald Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, calling them a “cheater” and a “joke,” respectively. The comments came days after Pritzker welcomed Texas Democrats who fled their state to protest GOP-led redistricting efforts.
In an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Pritzker said that Abbott is trying to undermine democracy by attempting to redraw congressional maps at mid-decade, while Trump has defended Abbott’s actions as a way to pick up seats for Republicans in Texas.
Pritzker also defended Illinois’ congressional map against allegations of gerrymandering, pointing out that the state held public hearings and made changes to the map before passing it. He accused Trump of trying to cheat the American people out of their votes.
Meanwhile, former Attorney General Eric Holder has urged Democrats to respond to Texas’ redistricting plan by proposing similar measures in their own states. California Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed a plan to redraw his state’s congressional map, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul plans to put an amendment on the ballot to do the same.
Vice President Mike Pence, who visited Indiana last week to discuss redistricting, blamed Democrats for the GOP push to redraw state congressional maps in an interview with Fox News. However, Pritzker dismissed Pence’s claims as “grandstanding.”
The controversy highlights the ongoing debate over gerrymandering and its impact on democracy. As Pritzker said, “This is cheating. Donald Trump is a cheater.”
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/illinois-gov-jb-pritzker-blasts-texas-gov-greg-abbott-trump-gop-redist-rcna224081