Tim Miller: Trump Country Just Snapped in Texas

Democrats, previously hesitant to engage on immigration, now feel they have the upper hand due to public backlash against the Trump administration's aggressive enforcement. Conversely, Republicans, who once 'crowed' about the issue, are now advising Trump to 'chill out' as it has become a significant political liability, turning their 'best issue into their worst issue.'

Host Tim Miller discusses how Democratic politicians are 'leaning in' on the issue, recognizing that voters agree with them, while Republicans like John Kennedy are 'scared of this issue.'

Amid concerns about a potential 'bloodbath' for Republicans in upcoming elections, Donald Trump suggested that Republicans should 'nationalize the voting' in 'at least 15 places' to combat perceived illegal voting. This comment is framed as alarming and suggests a potential strategy to influence election outcomes beyond traditional means.

Trump stated on Dan Bongino's show, 'The Republicans should say we want to take over we should take over the voting the voting in at least many 15 places. the Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.' The host interprets the specific number '15' as potentially based on internal discussions.

The administration's immigration policies, initially framed as targeting 'the worst of the worst,' have expanded to include non-violent individuals and asylum seekers. This is partly attributed to politicians 'buying their own BS' and believing there were more 'bad hombres' than reality, but also to the immense funding and bureaucratic momentum given to agencies like DHS. Once 'unimaginable amounts of money' are allocated and personnel are hired, the system continues to operate aggressively, even if the political will to 'dial it back' emerges.

The host explains that 'DHS now has more money than the Marine Corps more money than the Israeli military,' leading to 'normal bureaucratic creep issues' where 'you can't control all of these people that you've hired.'

A special state senate election in Tarrant County, Texas—a culturally conservative and wealthy area that voted for Abbott after Uvalde—saw a Democrat win with a 31-point swing. This 'seismic' shift is interpreted as a clear indication that 'Abbott voters' and 'hardcore Trump Abbott voters' are dissatisfied with Trump's policies across the board (economic, foreign, immigration), suggesting a broader anti-Trump sentiment that could impact national midterms.

The host states, 'it's very meaningful I I think what happens in this district... it's Texas. The state senate districts are big. So, it's meaningful.' The guest adds, 'These are Abbott voters... they swung 31 points in the other direction and voted for a Democrat. That that is just seismic.'