‘Destructive’: Fox’s Ari Fleischer Warns GOP’s Texas Gerrymander May Have Backfired Big-Time

Fox News’ Ari Fleischer condemned mid-decade redistricting efforts by both Republicans and Democrats on Monday while warning that the GOP’s Texas gerrymander may have backfired big-time.

Anchor Sandra Smith introduced the segment by noting that there will be “a huge battle at the ballot box in Virginia happening tomorrow. Voters are going to decide on a new congressional map that could cost Republicans in the Commonwealth up to four House seats,” and asking Fleischer for his thoughts.

“Well, I think this whole redistricting midterm is wrong in every state. And I said that when Texas tried to do it first, and I’ve said that every state since then. I think, frankly, Indiana has shown people the way when they resisted the temptation to do this,” replied Fleischer. “I don’t mind redistricting, I don’t mind a strong gerrymander, but it should happen in accordance with the Constitution, which means it happens once every 10 years. Even politics should have rules, and those rules should not allow any state to have these midterm redistrictings. It just leads to chaos. And Republicans thought they were going to win this one when they went first in Texas. And if Virginia succeeds, it looks like the Democrats are going to have a net pickup in redistricting.”

Asked for his thoughts on what the results of the referendum might be, Fleischer opted to restate his principled opposition to the practice.

“Well, I don’t know what the results of that election are going to be, and I hope people of Virginia turn out and vote no on this. Look, Sandra, this is just destructive to the things that are supposed to hold us together as a country. It’s fine to fight over politics, it’s fine to seek an advantage. But there have to be rules by which you do this. And that’s why I was saying it should happen once every 10 years, and in reaction to new census information that allows people to draw lines with some sense of fairness,” said the former White House press secretary. “If it’s a power grab for the Republicans, or a power grab for Democrats, all we’re doing in America is grabbing power. And that is not what holds us together as a people. So I hope it is defeated tomorrow in Virginia.”

Watch above via Fox News.

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