On Tuesday’s edition of his eponymous show, NewsNation host Chris Cuomo highlighted the most recent events that have unfolded in America's political theatrics: the redistricting game. As Cuomo aptly noted, "Redistricting is everything," and indeed, it is. The act of gerrymandering has now become the centerpiece of a high-stakes contest between Republicans and Democrats, each vying to redraw the map in their favor before the 2026 midterms. Thus Cuomo told Democrats to "stop crying foul."
The catalyst for this renewed battle was Texas, where Republicans were pushing to redraw congressional districts mid-decade. The goal? To secure five additional GOP seats in the House. This move sent Democrat lawmakers everywhere into a spiral, prompting party leaders in states like California, New York, and Illinois to consider retaliatory measures. As Cuomo pointed out, "California is trying to counter Texas with dueling redistricts.”
Tapped as a guest, comedian Adam Carolla observed that while Democrats were acting as victims of the proposed redistricting, calling it a threat to democracy, it’s important to remember that gerrymandering was a bipartisan political tactic, used by both sides for hundreds of years by lawmakers to secure political power.
"Marcus of Queensbury is gone,” Carolla quipped. “There's no more rules anymore. It's an all-out warfare."
However, the Democrats' response raises questions about their sudden pearl-clutching. Governor Gavin Newsom of California had vowed to "fight fire with fire," and said he would “respond to," all while painting gerrymandering as a solely Republican practice. In reality, some of the most gerrymandered places in the country were to the Democrats’ advantage.
To Cuomo’s point, Democrats needed to stop playing victim when it came to redistricting, and acknowledge that the practice of gerrymandering had long been used by both parties.
Cuomo further suggested that the party needed more than just complaints about their opposition's tactics. "What the Democrats need to do is start providing some policy that is more than just complaining about 'foul'," he advised. Instead of engaging in a redistricting arms race and acting like gerrymandering is some cardinal sin the Republicans of Texas have committed, Democrats would be better served by focusing on policy, especially with a not-to-good outlook looming over their heads for the 2026 and 2028 elections.
As Carolla said, it's time for both sides to stop "flopping, crying foul, and being a victim," and start "laying out policy."
The entire transcript is below. Click "expand" to read.
NewsNation's Cuomo
August 5, 2025
8:43:31 PM ET(…)
CHRIS CUOMO: Redistricting is everything. The reason you have a 95 percent retention rate for incumbents, even though they're like it, a 20 percent approval rate is because of districts, right? They're all locked in. Doing it mid-decade is unconventional. So, California is trying to counter Texas with dueling redistricts, and it's no coincidence to me that everyone on the left is pissed about Texas, and everyone on the right is pissed about California. Isn’t that the problem?
ADAM CAROLLA: Yeah. Gerry's the last name of a vice president from like, I don't know, 18–
CUOMO: Elbridge Gerry.
CAROLLA: So this– This stuff has been going on for a little while, obviously, in this country. You know, for me the left does stuff, the right does stuff. The left gets their panties in a bunch, they get– they get offended. The right gets sort of angry.
Let's just assume both sides are going to do everything they can possibly do. Marcus of Queensbury is gone. There's no more rules anymore. It's an all-out warfare. And with that in mind, my feeling is, is that's a given now, because it's game on.
What the Democrats need to do is start providing some policy that is more than just complaining about “foul.” It's like they’re a basketball team who's just flopping. There are strategies to fake fouls and to flop. And my thing is while to get us– get a dry erase board, draw up some place and start scoring, start winning, start running plays. That's what– the people bought tickets are coming to the arena. They what you guys execute plays, not flop.
CUOMO: Because they don't have the ball. They're not on the field. The– whatever metaphor you want to extend. The Democrats are out of power. Now, I do agree that there is space for better ideas about what they would do, especially handle– heading into the midterms with regard to two major things. One, the big beautiful bill.
Adam, it is not skepticism or idle curiosity that tells us that there's a reason the administration doesn't talk about that bill all the time, or really even the economy. They'd rather fire people who do the labor statistics than deal with the labor statistics. That's the avenue of opportunity for Democrats; to talk about the economy and what this bill did and who it did it to, that's a space even if they're not in power.
CAROLLA: I agree. But whatever it is, pick some bone that has some meat on it, stop flopping, crying foul, and being a victim, and get on the offense and start laying out policy.
(…)
