If you tuned into CNN’s Inside Politics on August 7th, you might have thought you were watching a live feed from a DNC strategy session. The segment, aimed at critiquing Republican-led redistricting efforts in Texas, quickly turned into yet another case study in media hypocrisy and a stunning example of the left's performative outrage, with one commentator suggesting Republicans needed to “cheat” to win.
Gerrymandering has existed for centuries, with both parties doing their fair share of redrawing. Dana Bash, to her credit, even admitted on air, “Gerrymandering is done by both parties. And it has been done by both parties for a very long time.”
That should have been the end of the conversation. An acknowledgment that this has been a structural feature of American politics, not a scandal manufactured by the GOP. And perhaps a conversation about how to put an end to it across the board.
Instead, CNN contributor Nia-Malika Henderson launched into an accusation-fueled rant that Republicans must “rig the system,” stating: “They do have to essentially cheat, and rearrange some things in these states like Texas, which I imagine Indiana, all of these states where-- they're Republicans who, are sort of MAGA types.”
The conversation had far left the bounds of informative reporting by that point, and had now evolved into punditry masquerading as moral clarity.
What exactly was the CNN angry about here? Were they upset about the practice of gerrymandering? Or were they just mad that Republicans were the ones currently trying to redistrict?
Democrats have gerrymandered. Frequently. They're just not in control of the state legislatures to do it in states like Texas. Henderson even mentioned that Governor Gavin Newsom (D) planned to counter by gerrymandering California even harder, but she did not ascribe cheating or rigging to Newsom's plan; literally describing it as “something else.”
Bash said the quiet part out loud: “Right now, the Democrats are at a disadvantage because they just don't run as many states as Republicans do nationwide.” That was a thinly veiled political gripe.
When Democrats carved out seats in Oregon, New York, New Mexico, Illinois, and Nevada– in fact, outlets like Vox were praising Democrats for “neutralizing” GOPers, and justifying leftist led gerrymandering efforts as necessary.
Additionally, Democrats had gerrymandered to completely eliminate Republican voices in their states, like in Maryland. In fact, in New York, courts had to step in because Democratic lawmakers tried to carve the state into a map so lopsided it made a Picasso painting look realistic. Where was the breathless CNN coverage then?
The left's outrage was about power.
Republicans were playing by the same rules Democrats had always played by, but media elites were pushing the narrative that Republican success was illegitimate by default. To them, gerrymandering was somehow evil if the pen used to redraw the map was red instead of blue. If the right won elections, they must have rigged them. If they redrew maps in states they govern, it’s cheating. But when Democrats do the same, it’s fighting back and protecting power.
Was CNN mad that gerrymandering exists? Or were they just mad that Democrats didn’t have the power to do that in a red state like Texas?
Because if it’s the latter, you’re not defending democracy, you’re just upset your team was losing.
The entire transcript is below. Click "expand" to read.
CNN’s Inside Politics
August 7th, 2025
12:25:24 p.m. EasternDANA BASH: And when I when I use the term rigged before, I just want to note – and this is really important – that gerrymandering is done by both parties. And it has been done by both parties for a very long time, which is why the partisanship is the way it is in the United States Congress.
Right now, the Democrats are at a disadvantage because they just don't run as many states as Republicans do nationwide. And then if you look even more, you mentioned New York and that the governor there is limited in what she can do. There are only - There you go, five states that are run by Democrats who even have the potential to – excuse me, four states have the potential to play at this game.
JOHN KING: But again, again. So let's say they couldn't do all 15. Let's say they did 10, right? That almost negates what the Republicans can do. So part of this – And one another risk for Republicans here is they're firing up the Democratic base about this.
(…)
12:26:42 PM ET
NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON: It's always you know it speaks to the lack of confidence that Donald Trump has in his record so far. The Big Beautiful Bill is underwater in terms of its approval rating. It's– 60 percent or something of Americans disapprove of it. The tariffs are already here in so many ways. Americans haven't had any relief in terms of lowering prices, which is what he ran on, which is what he won on. And so now they do have to rig the system. They do have to essentially cheat, and rearrange some things in these states like Texas, which I imagine Indiana, all of these states where they're Republicans who, are sort of MAGA types, and you see Donald Trump, obviously, with his absolute control over the Republican party, I imagine they will end up folding.
I imagine they'll find a way to do it, even if it's difficult. But it will ignite something else on the other side. You already hear Gavin Newsom talking about this, and you imagine that other Democrats in states, as you know, to the extent that they can, will try to do the same thing.
DANA BASH: The congressional district system has been rigged for a long time. The difference now is that they're doing it right in the middle of the decade, which we haven't seen, again, in a very long time.
(...)
