Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

Don Lemon Nods Along As Texas Dem Likens Congressional Redistricting To Holocaust

Screenshot/YouTube: The Don Lemon Show]

Fired CNN host Don Lemon nodded along Tuesday as Democratic Texas state Rep. Jolanda Jones compared congressional redistricting to the Holocaust.

Jones is among the over 50 Democrat state lawmakers who broke quorum by dodging the Monday vote on redistricting by fleeing to blue states like Illinois and New York. The left-wing lawmaker claimed with a straight face on Lemon’s podcast, “The Don Lemon Show,” that black Americans may have the same fate as Jews during the Holocaust if her colleagues do not protect them from being “targeted” by Republicans.

“I will liken this to the Holocaust,” Jones said. “People are like ‘well, how did the Holocaust happen? How is somebody in the position to kill all of 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. So even if you made it, you have an obligation to help people who can’t, because God forbid they end up targeting you and your family.”

Lemon nodded in agreement as Jones made this comparison.

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Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order for the arrests of the lawmakers on Monday after they refused to show up for the vote on redistricting. Republican Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows signed the civil warrants to permit the chamber’s sergeant-at-arms and state troopers to arrest the lawmakers and return them to the chamber.

The absentee members will not face civil or criminal charges, making the arrest warrants largely symbolic, according to the Texas Tribune.

“To ensure compliance, I ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to locate, arrest, and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans. This order will remain in effect until all missing Democrat House members are accounted for and brought to the Texas Capitol,” Abbott said in a Monday statement.

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Fox Business’ “The Bottom Line” that Abbott can keep calling special sessions to force a vote on Republicans’ gerrymandering efforts. The redrawing of the congressional lines could give Republicans a major boost by potentially resulting in Republicans retaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2026 midterms, CNN’s chief data analyst Harry Enten said on Thursday.

Without evidence, former Attorney General Eric Holder claimed on Monday that the redistricting effort is an attempt by Republicans to reject the certification of a potential Democratic president-elect in January 2029.