On MSNBC’s Morning Joe Friday, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) claimed Republicans are relying on “rigging” the upcoming midterm elections to maintain power, with redistricting as just one element of a broader strategy.
Padilla argued that GOP leaders, including former President Donald Trump, lack a positive legislative record to run on. “Their accomplishments have been, what? Giving tax breaks to billionaires, cutting health care, trying to destroy the federal government as we know it,” he said. “Their only chance of holding on to power in the midterms is to rig the election.”
According to Padilla, the Republican strategy includes restrictive voting measures, such as tightening voter registration rules, purging voter rolls, and demanding personal voter data under what he called “a pretext” for further removals. He described these moves as part of “a perfect storm of rigging next November’s election.”
Padilla also accused Republicans of using executive orders and legislative proposals to make voting more difficult, particularly for certain demographics. He linked these efforts to redistricting battles, including those in Texas, where Republican leaders are seeking to redraw congressional maps in a way critics say will benefit their party.
Framing the issue as a coordinated attempt to undermine democracy, Padilla said the fight over congressional boundaries is not happening in isolation but is part of a “desperate hold on power.”
