Texas Democrats who fled state can ‘stay out long enough to stop this deal’, says O’Rourke
Former Democratic congressman Beto O’Rourke, who has emerged as a top funder covering the costs of Texas lawmakers’ exodus, told CNN earlier that he believes they can “stay out long enough to stop this deal in Texas”.
Donald Trump, Texas governor Greg Abbott, and Texas attorney general Ken Paxton are, O’Rourke said, “trying to steal these five seats in Texas because without them Trump’s going to lose a majority in the House of Representatives”.
Without that majority, there’s a check on his lawlessness, accountability for his crimes and corruption, and the possibility of free and fair elections going forward.
The 56 Texas Democrats who fled the state are, O’Rourke said, “all that stand between that future and where we are right now”.
I think what they’re doing is the highest form of public service. They’re trying to stop the consolidation of authoritarian power in America.
They are the champions for this democracy, for America, for the rule of law and for our constitution.
Paxton has called their leaving a “dereliction of the duty as elected officials” and said he would pursue a court ruling to declare the seats of “any rogue lawmakers” vacant if they do not return to work at the statehouse by Friday.
“This matters more than any other priority,” said O’Rourke. “We have to stop their power grab.” He added:
The election of 2026 is going to be decided in the summer of 2025, so we have to fight now and every day going forward.
Key events
Texas Democrats could rack up nearly $400,000 in fines – report
In an analysis by Politico, Democratic lawmakers from Texas stand to amass almost $400,000 in penalties, for fleeing the state during the special session that ends on 19 August.
Politico crunched the numbers and worked out the total based on the fewest lawmakers needed to break quorum, the anticipated length of their out-of-state trips, and the $500-per-day fee they’re being charged.
“Should Democrats refuse to return for the length of the entire special legislative session, which will end on Aug. 19, they could rack up fines totaling at least $382,500,” Politico estimated.
Trump says Witkoff-Putin meeting was ‘highly productive’
In a post on Truth Social, the president said that “great progress” was made at the meeting between special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies. Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come,” Trump added.
The meeting comes just two days before a deadline the president set for Russia to reach a peace deal in the war with Ukraine, or face fresh sanctions.
Texas Democrats ‘safe’ following bomb threat at Chicago suburb hotel
Texas state lawmakers – many of whom decamped to Illinois to break quorum over the new GOP-drawn congressional map – were forced to evacuate from their hotel earlier near Chicago today.
The St. Charles Police department said they responded to a report of a potential bomb threat at the Q-Center hotel and convention complex. 400 people were immediately evacuated, and the area was secured as bomb squad units conducted their investigation. No device was found.
On social media, Democratic state representative John Bucy III said that “this is what happens when Republican state leaders publicly call for us to be ‘hunted down’,” referring to the Texas attorney general’s earlier calls to bring absent lawmakers back to the state house.
Illinois governor JB Pritzker said he was aware of the threats, in a post on X. “Threats of violence will be investigated and those responsible will be held accountable,” he added.
Top Trump officials to discuss unified response to Epstein ordeal over dinner hosted by JD Vance tonight – report
JD Vance will reportedly host top administration officials at his residence tonight, where they will discuss a strategy to address the fallout of the government’s mishandling of the Jeffrey Epstein case and come up with a “unified response”, CNN reports.
Among the attendees will reportedly be, attorney Pam Bondi, her deputy Todd Blanche, FBI director Kash Patel and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
It comes as the administration weighs whether to release the contents of Blanche’s interviews, including over 10 hours of audio and a transcript, with Epstein accomplice and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. Two officials told CNN that the materials could be made public as early as this week.
One official told CNN that some of the conversation within the White House has focused on whether making the details from the interview public would bring the Epstein controversy back to the surface, at a time when many officials close to Trump believe the story has finally died down.
Texas Democrats who fled state can ‘stay out long enough to stop this deal’, says O’Rourke
Former Democratic congressman Beto O’Rourke, who has emerged as a top funder covering the costs of Texas lawmakers’ exodus, told CNN earlier that he believes they can “stay out long enough to stop this deal in Texas”.
Donald Trump, Texas governor Greg Abbott, and Texas attorney general Ken Paxton are, O’Rourke said, “trying to steal these five seats in Texas because without them Trump’s going to lose a majority in the House of Representatives”.
Without that majority, there’s a check on his lawlessness, accountability for his crimes and corruption, and the possibility of free and fair elections going forward.
The 56 Texas Democrats who fled the state are, O’Rourke said, “all that stand between that future and where we are right now”.
I think what they’re doing is the highest form of public service. They’re trying to stop the consolidation of authoritarian power in America.
They are the champions for this democracy, for America, for the rule of law and for our constitution.
Paxton has called their leaving a “dereliction of the duty as elected officials” and said he would pursue a court ruling to declare the seats of “any rogue lawmakers” vacant if they do not return to work at the statehouse by Friday.
“This matters more than any other priority,” said O’Rourke. “We have to stop their power grab.” He added:
The election of 2026 is going to be decided in the summer of 2025, so we have to fight now and every day going forward.
Putin-Witkoff meeting ‘went well’, but sanctions still expected on Friday, says White House official
US envoy Steve Witkoff’s meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday went well, a White House official has told Reuters, adding that Washington still planned to proceed with secondary sanctions on Friday.
The Russians are eager to continue engaging with the United States. The secondary sanctions are still expected to be implemented on Friday.
My colleague Jakub Krupa is covering this in greater detail over on our Europe live blog:
It follows a Reuters report that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump spoke on the phone earlier today, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Hours earlier, US special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow. There haven’t been any immediate indication from either side as to how the talks went.
We’re seeing lines on Reuters quoting a White House official that secondary US sanctions on Russia are expected to be implemented on Friday, the deadline Trump gave Putin to reach a peace deal to end its war in Ukraine.
Up until this point Trump had been unusually reticent to punish the Russian president, my colleague Patrick Wintour wrote in a piece published this morning, so “what Trump – who some had claimed was a Russian asset – does next to punish Putin could define his presidency.”
I’ll bring you more on this as we get it.
California lawmakers will have just days to decide on special election
If state legislators in California move ahead with governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to hold a special election – and begin the process of redrawing the state’s congressional maps in response to Texas’s plans – they’ll have just five days to announce their decision.
The California legislature returns from its recess on 18 August, and it will have to declare a special election by 22 August, according to KCRA News.
“They’re doing a midterm rejection of objectivity and independence, an act that we could criticise from the sideline, or an act that we can respond to in kind – fight fire with fire,” Newsom said in a press conference last week, referring to Texas Republicans’ plans to pass a new congressional map.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Donald Trump on the phone today, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
This comes after US special envoy Steve Witkoff wrapped up a three-hour meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin earlier today.
My colleagues are tracking the latest here.