Transcript: Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," April 19, 2026

Key Points:

• Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, defends efforts in Virginia and California to redraw districts as a response to Republican-led gerrymandering in states like Texas, aiming to restore fairness in representation.
• Holder emphasizes that these redistricting measures are temporary and subject to voter approval via referendums, contrasting them with what he describes as unilateral and unpopular Republican actions in other states.
• He argues that Democrats can win fairly but need to counteract what he calls attempts by Republicans to "stack the deck," framing the current redistricting efforts as necessary to protect democracy and ensure effective checks on the Trump administration.
• Holder acknowledges past criticisms of gerrymandering but insists the current situation is a crisis requiring immediate action, with hopes of passing federal legislation to ban partisan gerrymandering under a future Democratic administration.
• Responding to concerns about minority representation in Virginia's new map, Holder rejects claims that it diminishes Black political influence, stressing the broader national stakes and the importance of preventing continued Trump administration policies.