Sen. Rand Paul Warns Both Parties’ Tug-Of-War Over Redistricting Could Fuel More Political Violence

Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul warned Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that both Republicans and Democrats’ tugs of war over their respective redistricting efforts may lead to further political violence.

Republican-led states such as Texas, Utah, and North Carolina have pushed to implement a new redistricting effort encouraged by President Donald Trump, while Democrat-led states such as California are pushing back. These nationwide battles have also seen intraparty conflict, with some Republicans in Indiana not following their party’s efforts. NBC’s Kristen Welker likewise asked Paul if he supports the GOP’s efforts to redraw maps mid-decade rather than following the next national census as had been tradition.

“You know, it’s just escalation on both sides — both sides are doing it — and so is one side going to sit quietly and not do it? You can argue who started it. But I do think this — and this is on the the negative aspect of both parties doing this — I think that it’s going to lead to more civil tension and possibly more violence in our country,” Paul responded.

“Because — think about it — if 35% of Texas is Democrat, solidly Democrat, and they have zero representation — or like in my state: we’re a very Republican state but we have one Democrat area in Louisville and we have a Democrat congressman, we can carve up Louisville and get rid of that one congressman — but how does that make Democrats feel?” Paul added. “I think it makes them feel like they’re not represented. And so, I don’t know, I think it’s bad, but it’s really not one party or the other doing it. It’s both parties have been doing it since the beginning of time.”

Paul continued his argument, using California as an example, and noted that if an area’s Republican representation dwindled to just one lawmaker, he believes it would leave constituents