Former President Barack Obama praised a group of Texas Democratic lawmakers for fleeing their state to stop a vote on a redistricting bill, calling their actions “inspiring."

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Democrats ended a two-week walkout Monday that stalled Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts as part of a national partisan brawl over President Donald Trump’s desire to reshape U.S. House maps to his advantage.

Former President Barack Obama is applauding Texas Democrats for leaving their state in an attempt to block the passage of a Republican-led redistricting effort.

We can’t let a systematic assault on democracy just happen and stand by,” the former president said on a Zoom call with Texas Democrats.

All three Democrats are either declared or potential contenders for the Senate seat on the ballot in next year's midterm elections. In what would typically be a quiet period in Texas politics, Republicans have roiled the state's 2026 Senate campaign with their rush to redraw congressional maps to give Trump more allies in Congress.

Former President Obama joined a virtual meeting with Texas House Democrats who left the state to deny GOP redistricting effort, cheering on their efforts.

While MSNBC "Morning Joe" hosts agreed that redistricting efforts nationwide were "bad for government," several agreed that after Texas' approved gerrymandered maps, the "arms race is on." Former President Barack Obama supported Gov.

Former President Barack Obama has said he is "so proud" of Texas House Democrats who have fled the Lone Star State to break quorum, preventing the passage of a redistricting bill that would likely give the Republicans another five seats in the national House of Representatives.

Even as it seems entirely inevitable that Texas Republicans will follow through on their goal of gerrymandering the state to help Donald Trump retain power in Congress through the 2026 elections, Democrats who fled the state to try to stop the measure are seeing success in how the matter has become a national issue,

Republican lawmakers are poised to push the map through over fierce Democratic opposition, positioning the GOP to net up to five additional seats in Texas.