Former President Barack Obama and ex-Attorney General Eric Holder have dropped a bombshell video, sounding the alarm over what they see as a dire threat to democracy through Republican redistricting moves.
According to Breitbart, in a nutshell, Obama and Holder are rallying the troops to support the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) in a heated battle against GOP-led map-drawing efforts in states like Texas, Florida, and Ohio, which they claim could tilt congressional power and weaken minority votes ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Let’s rewind to 2017, when Obama and Holder first launched the NDRC to push back against Republican redistricting strategies they viewed as unfair.
Fast forward to their latest move—a video dropped on X this past Thursday, August 28, 2025, where Obama warns of an “existential threat to our democracy” and begs for support.
“Extreme conservative politicians” are trying to “slice and dice” districts to cling to power, Obama claims. If that’s not a loaded accusation, what is? Let’s be real—redistricting is a political chess game both sides play, though the GOP seems to be checkmating in key states.
Holder doubles down, alleging that Republicans in Texas are pushing maps that violate the Voting Rights Act by sidelining Hispanic and Black voters. Census data shows Texas growth driven by Latino residents, yet Holder insists the new districts favor majority-white areas. That’s a serious charge, but is it gerrymandering or just strategic mapmaking?
Earlier in August 2025, Holder took to ABC’s This Week, pointing fingers at President Donald Trump for allegedly steering an “authoritarian movement” to “rig” the 2026 midterms via Texas redistricting. That’s quite the conspiracy theory—Trump as the puppet master of state maps? It’s a stretch without hard proof, though the optics of GOP gains don’t help.
Meanwhile, Obama jumped on a Zoom call mid-August to back Texas Democrats who literally fled the state to block a quorum and stall the redistricting bill. Talk about dramatic—running away instead of debating feels more like a stunt than a solution.
The Texas plan, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Map,” still passed, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, August 29, 2025, with a party-line Senate vote of 18-11 and a House tally of 88-52. Abbott proudly declared it ensures “fairer representation.” Fair to whom, exactly, remains the million-dollar question.
Here’s the kicker: the Texas map is projected to hand Republicans five more congressional seats. That’s a hefty boost in a state already leaning red, and it’s no wonder Democrats are up in arms. Obama’s video also targets GOP efforts in Florida and Ohio, claiming Ohio Republicans aim to control nearly 90% of congressional seats. If true, that’s a lopsided power grab, but let’s not pretend Democrats don’t redraw maps to their advantage when given the chance.
Across the aisle, Democratic governors in California, New York, and Illinois are gearing up for a counteroffensive. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to wipe out GOP-held districts got a nod from Obama as a “measured approach.” Measured? Sounds more like tit-for-tat politics with a polite label.
This isn’t just a Texas showdown—it’s a national slugfest over who gets to draw the lines and, ultimately, who holds power. The 2026 midterms loom large, and both parties know redistricting could make or break their chances.
Holder’s MSNBC comments about Texas diluting minority votes hit hard, but conservatives might argue it’s less about race and more about securing winnable districts in a growing state. The Voting Rights Act is sacred, no question, but interpreting “dilution” often depends on who’s holding the pencil.
At the end of the day, Obama and Holder’s call to action via the NDRC is a stark reminder that redistricting isn’t just mapmaking—it’s a battle for the soul of representation. Their video caption insists “voters should pick their politicians,” a noble idea, but in practice, both sides seem more interested in picking their voters. Until independent commissions take over, expect this partisan tug-of-war to rage on.
