全国民主重划委员会主席埃里克·霍尔德(Eric Holder)称，德克萨斯州试图在不到十年的时间里第二次重划国会地图，这是白宫的“威权之举”。
奥巴马总统手下的司法部长霍尔德多年来一直领导民主党人消除不公正的选区划分。但在周日接受“乔治·斯特凡诺普洛斯本周”采访时，霍尔德表示，德克萨斯州的计划意味着民主党人需要“做一些或许在过去我不会支持的事情。”
霍尔德说:“我认为，其他州负责任的民主党人必须考虑到我们的民主面临的威胁，需要维护我们的民主，这样我们才能最终试图治愈它。”“我希望他们会采取措施，正如我所说的，这些措施是暂时的，但也是负责任的。”
“我们在加州看到了这方面的讨论，在纽约也看到了这方面的讨论。
"但是那些尝试更长远，不是吗?"Stephanopoulos问道，他指的是那些州保护人们不受党派偏见影响的法律。
虽然霍尔德承认民主党人可能采取的行动最终将取决于每个州，但他认为这些保护措施是一种优势。
“他们试图在德克萨斯州做的只是把一张新地图强加给德克萨斯州人民，一张不受欢迎的新地图。要在加州做到这一点，你实际上必须去找人民，要求他们暂停他们已经到位的，这是一个真正运作良好的，独立的选区划分委员会，”霍尔德说。“这样人们就能对加州的所作所为有发言权。人们没有发言权，一个有意义的发言权，目前看来是在德克萨斯州。”
特朗普的政治操作提出了6月份重新划分选区的前景，以努力支撑共和党脆弱的众议院多数席位。特朗普表示，如果德克萨斯州重新绘制国会地图，他的政党可能会获得五个席位。他暗示“可能”有其他州会效仿，但没有指明是哪些州。
司法部在7月份的一封信中告诉德克萨斯州，民主党代表的四个多数派-少数派选区需要重新划分，认为他们是“违宪的种族选区划分者”。
以下是霍尔德采访中的更多亮点:
改变他对不公正选区划分的看法
斯特凡诺普洛斯:你一直在努力阻止不公正的选区划分。现在，你说是时候以毒攻毒了。为什么会有转机?
持有人:嗯，我认为我们必须明白，通过他们在德克萨斯州试图做的事情对国家造成的威胁的性质确实增加了我们民主的危险。因此，我们必须做一些在过去我可能不会支持的事情。
关于停止德州重划选区
斯特凡诺普洛斯:有什么办法可以阻止吗?
持有人:嗯，我认为有很多方法可以阻止它。如果你看看在听证会上作证的人，100比1的人作证反对。德克萨斯州媒体的编辑委员会对此表示反对。民意调查显示，事实上，德克萨斯州的人民是反对的。所以，我认为这是你试图阻止它发生的方法之一。
何时公布爱泼斯坦的文件
斯特凡诺普洛斯:所以，最后，如果你现在是司法部长，你会公布这些文件吗?
持有人:是的。我的意思是，考虑到，你知道，各种人的隐私利益，当然最主要的是受害者。但是确实有调查材料可以公开，也应该公开。重点不应该放在大陪审团材料上，因为大陪审团材料的发布存在一大堆问题。但是，关于司法部和美国联邦调查局掌握的调查档案，这些材料应该公开。
Eric Holder backs Democratic response to Texas redistricting plan
Eric Holder, chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, called Texas' attempt to redraw its congressional maps for the second time in less than a decade "an authoritarian move" by the White House.
Holder, attorney general under President Barack Obama, has led the charge among Democrats to eliminate gerrymandering for years. But speaking with "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" on Sunday, Holder said that Texas' plan means Democrats need to "do things that perhaps in the past I would not have supported."
"I think that responsible Democrats in other states have to take into account the threat to our democracy, the need to preserve our democracy, so that we can ultimately try to heal it," Holder said. "And I would hope that they will take steps that are, again, as I said, temporary but responsible."
"And we're seeing talk about that in California, we're seeing talk about that in New York, as well.
"But those attempts are more longshots, aren't they?" Stephanopoulos asked, referring to laws on the books in those states that protect against partisan gerrymandering.
While Holder conceded that the actions Democrats could take would ultimately depend on each state, he argued that those protections are an advantage.
"What they're trying to do in Texas is simply impose a new map on, an unpopular new map, on the people of Texas. To do it in California, you actually have to go to the people and ask them to suspend that which they have in place, which is a really well-functioning, independent redistricting committee," Holder said. "So the people will have a voice in what California does. The people do not have a voice, a meaningful voice, it appears so far in Texas."
Trump's political operation floated the prospect of redistricting in June in efforts to shore up the GOP's fragile House majority. Trump said his party could pick up five seats if Texas redraws its congressional map. He suggested that there "could be" other states that follow suit but didn't identify them.
The Department of Justice told Texas in a letter in July that four majority-minority districts represented by Democrats needed to be redrawn, arguing they were "unconstitutional racial gerrymanders."
Here are more highlights from Holder's interview:
On changing his views on gerrymandering
Stephanopoulos:You've been leading an effort to stop gerrymandering. Now, you say it's time to fight fire with fire. Why the turnaround?
Holder:Well, I think we have to understand that the nature of the threat that has been put upon the country through what they're trying to do in Texas has really increased the danger to our democracy. And as a result of that, we've got to do things that perhaps in the past I would not have supported.
On stopping Texas redistricting
Stephanopoulos:Is there any way to stop it?
Holder:Well, I think there are a number of ways in which we can try to stop it. If you look at the people who have testified at the hearings, 100-to-1 people have testified against it. Editorial boards in the media in Texas have opined against it. The polling shows that the people in Texas are, in fact, against it. So, I think that's one of the ways in which you try to stop it from actually happening.
On when to release the Epstein files
Stephanopoulos:So, the -- so, finally, you would release the files if you were attorney general right now?
Holder:Yes. I mean, take into account, you know, the privacy interest of various people, certainly of the victims uppermost. But there is investigative material that can certainly be released, that should be released. The focus shouldn't be on grand jury material because there are a whole bunch of problems with respect to the release of grand jury material. But with regard to investigative files that are in the possession of the Justice Department and the FBI, those materials should be released.
