Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele on MSNBC on May 15, 2025

Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele delivered a firm warning to Democrats after Republicans in Texas passed a new redistricting map that heavily favors Republicans.

During the Wednesday broadcast of his MSNBC show "The Weeknight," Steele said the only way Democrats could undo what their Republican counterparts just did was to "find themselves 37 more seats in the state of Texas." The former career Republican said Democrats should be "severely focused on state legislatures, because that's where you get your a-- whipped."

"That's the new reality. And and this is just this is the tip of a very, very long spear politically that will play out across the country," he said. "And I think folks need to understand that the Republicans don't plan to fight fair. They're not planning to stand up candidates who will make a give you a message about the future of the country, or the future of the state, or the future of the district. They're just going to grab the power."

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"The Weeknight" co-host Alicia Melendez asked Steele if he thought the new congressional map in Texas — which was passed through the Texas House of Representatives on party lines — were made possible because Republicans had nothing to fear. Steele replied affirmatively, acknowledging "there was no incentive" for his former party to do the right thing.

"Politics is about incentives and disincentives. And all the incentives worked with the Republicans here," he said. "And that's why I started the conversation with, you got to whittle at that legislature. You got to make them pay politically."

"This is from Donald Trump on down," he continued. "When you're not held accountable for the crap you're doing, when you get to throw out the Emoluments Clause or lock a member of the legislature in the House and tell her she can't she can't go to the bathroom without your permission and nothing happens, what do you think comes next? America. you're next! Y'all keep sitting there thinking this stuff ain't going to happen to you. Wake up!

Watch the segment below, or by clicking this link.

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