Texas Dems Spark Outrage With Holocaust and Lincoln Comparisons Amid Redistricting Battle
While he sees meaning in the Texas Democrats seeking refuge in Illinois — the land of Lincoln — I find their chosen destination ironically fitting for a completely different reason.
As the story goes, in 1840, Abraham Lincoln and four of his colleagues in the Illinois House of Representatives jumped out a window in an attempt to block a vote. Accounts of the incident vary, leaving it unclear whether they leapt from a second-story window or simply climbed out of a ground-floor one.
At the time, Democrats — who held the majority — were trying to shut down a state-run bank, a move Lincoln and his fellow Whigs strongly opposed, according to The New York Times.
Unfortunately for Lincoln, the dramatic gesture was in vain: he had already been marked “present” for the quorum.
Texas state representative James Talarico was one of more than 50 House Democrats to flee the state on Sunday to stop a redistricting vote that could hand Republicans five new Congressional seats in the upcoming midterms. On Tuesday, a rather smug Talarico spoke to the bros on the “Pod Save America” podcast from “a nondescript hotel room in Illinois.”
Although he fled Texas on a private jet (allegedly funded by Beto O’Rourke’s PAC), Talarico compared himself to Lincoln.
“We are in Illinois, and it’s appropriate because this is the land of Lincoln. And Abraham Lincoln actually broke quorum back in 1840 when he was a state senator by jumping out of the window of the Illinois state capitol,” Talarico said.
“Thankfully, I didn’t have to jump out of any windows in Texas, but we are joining a long tradition in America of standing up to bullies, of speaking truth to power, of causing good trouble,” he added. “And I know my colleagues and I are proud to do this work regardless of what consequences may come.”
In the clip below, Talarico recites the usual Democratic talking points — the same ones we’ve heard ad nauseam since Sunday, and many that have been repeated for the better part of a decade.
While he sees meaning in the Texas Democrats seeking refuge in Illinois — the land of Lincoln — I find their chosen destination ironically fitting for a completely different reason: Illinois is arguably the most gerrymandered state in the nation.
Despite Donald Trump winning 45% of the vote in 2024, Republicans hold just 3 of the state’s 17 congressional seats — a mere 18%.
Democrats have been at this for a long time. Although Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has vowed to retaliate if Texas moves forward with its redistricting plan, it just might be that Democrats have taken gerrymandering in the state as far as it can go.
Illinois is the most gerrymandered state in the country.
Republicans won 45% of the vote in Illinois in 2024.
Republicans were only able to win 3 seats out of 17.
Democrats kept 14 seats while only winning 55% of the vote. pic.twitter.com/qJdmVMgkA1
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) August 4, 2025
The maps below show the differences in Illinois congressional district maps between 1970 and 2025. They illustrate just how aggressively Democrats have redrawn district lines to their advantage. Pay particular attention to the twisted contours of the 13th District.
ILLINOIS GERRYMANDERING: The congressional districts here in 1970, then now in 2025. They are carefully crafted to ensure a Democrat would win a majority of the state. The hypocrisy of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker to comment on Texas doing the same is insane. Yet another… pic.twitter.com/Dz3EQnJEVL
— Mark Weyermuller (@publicpolicyman) August 6, 2025
Another Texas Democrat, Rep. Jolanda Jones, spoke to former CNN host Don Lemon on Monday from an “undisclosed location” in New York. Jones absurdly called Texas’s redistricting plans “racist” and said she is standing up to avoid the same mistakes that led to the Holocaust.
“We better have the courage to stand up, otherwise we will fall for anything,” Jones said. “And in this country, we will be defeated, deported. I mean, we will lose all of our rights. And if you think it can’t happen, it can.
She continued, “And I will liken this to the Holocaust. People are like, ‘Well, how did the Holocaust happen? How was somebody in a position to kill all them people?’ Well, good people remain silent or good people didn’t realize that what happens to them can very soon happen to me or somebody I love.
“And so, even if you made it, man, you have an obligation to help people who can’t because, God forbid, they end up targeting you and your family.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, Jones apologized for her comments and retracted her comparisons to the Holocaust, but remained adamant that Trump is “coming for my community” and he is trying to “disenfranchise Black and Brown people.”
The statement read: “I made a statement on ‘The Don Lemon Show’ comparing Trump’s attempt to disenfranchise Black and Brown people to the Holocaust. That was a mistake, and I apologize for it. Trump is coming for my community, and I get emotional about it and make strong statements. But that was going too far, and I retract that comparison.”
Texas State Democrat Rep. Jolanda Jones just compared her Texas redistricting to the Holocaust and the murder of 6 million Jews, and Don Lemon agreed.
I'm exhausted with these people trivializing 6 million murders.
This is abhorrent. pic.twitter.com/jIUCeMNLiy
— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) August 5, 2025
I don’t recall Republican cries of racism when Democrats were trying to mine every bit of political gold out of their state maps, do you?
Democrats, once again, are showing voters that they’re not a serious party. Is it any wonder why the party’s favorability ratings are sitting at record lows?
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
To quote WFAN’s sports analyst Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, when somebody claimed Holocaust offended privilege in an argument, “Holocaust Schmolocaust.”
The all-day argument was about banning some basketball player for something he said about Jews in his Bible Study class. Two sides formed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUvdp0fsU0o
No one cares about some obscure “sports analyst” and his opinions, Jewhater.
Like 2 year old. Their playbook was used against them and now they scream.
“Pay particular attention to the twisted contours of the 13th District.”
16 and 17 pretty much punch you in the nose as well.
If the redistricting be successful, it will be the final solution resulting in the elimination of six million Jews.
It’s gotten really sick when a non-Jew plays the holocaust card.
This idiot was my representative in Williamson county, in the past a very conservative area… not so much anymore.
Well it looked like he was going to lose his seat to a republican when his trans , all things, including school trans/gay sex in kindergarten views came out
So he moved to a safe Austin area with a very weak Republican candidate.
He also went with the last group to Washington to evade casting a vote.
Scrounged his way o to a national TV news show and made a fool of himself
I see he’s at it again
This is all about this fool trying to be the male AOC.. I’m sure he’s pissed that the insane black woman Crockett gets all the attention- she being from Tx too, Dallas area
The Democrats keep piling up the losses. Too smart to see how they repulse people. Bad ideas. Always crying wolf in a bitter way and acting as if only they stand in the way of oblivion.
If they want to succeed they might make a decision and then do the opposite. At this point, they are less right than a broken clock.
Meanwhile a bill intended to assist those suffering from the recent flood sits in abeyance. Way to go Democrats.
This is the problem with the Left. Killing Jews or trying to wipe out Israel? Not a Holocaust, not a tragedy, not even objectionable. Trying to redistrict in a way that doesn’t privilege Democrats? Holocaust. Must. STOP!!!
the newest mason -dixon lines are being arranged
It’s also 1856 and the fight is on as to whether each new state is free or slave and the balance of power in Congress is in the balance.
Anybody who knows Turdur, er, Talarico know that he’s no Lincoln. He’s closer to an even stupider version of David Hogg.
The vile, stupid and evil Dhimmi-crats are so concerned about preventing another Holocaust, they’ve gleefully aligned themselves with goose-stepping, Jew-hating Islamofascists and Muslim supremacists.
https://www.libertynation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/graph-meme.jpg
its a blmplo talking point to
belittle the holocaust
now its just mainstream dnc chatter and they dont care if they lose the jewish vote b/c
THE JEWISH VOTE HAS BEEN REPLACED BY OMAR etc
the money from the Saudis will more than make up for what the jewish community gave/gives
Maybe Illinois should be more worried about losing 7 electoral votes in those 50 years.
The bald faced hypocrisy from the left is stunning.
45% voted for Trump
16.6% are represented in the House.
We all know how they are able to get away with it; a compliant, Pravda-like media.
‘…and said she is standing up to avoid the same mistakes that led to the Holocaust.’
JFC (pardon me) I can’t with these extreme morons. Really it’s just too much. Can’t we eliminate the extremely stupid?
I do not live in TX but the Dems have Gerrymandered their Blue States so much that not many Republicans can win in them no matter how high the Republicans have in the population. Now that Republicans want Red States to do Gerrymandering and TX is trying to start it and the Dems have run out of TX to stop it. The Dems complain but they do not like what they do done on them.