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The Situation Room

Texas Senate Meeting on New Congressional Map; D.C. Residents Feel Less Safe After Trump Police Takeover; Judge Rejects Trump Admin. Request to Release Epstein Grand Jury Documents. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired August 21, 2025 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:30:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And there's more breaking news. A Texas State Senate Committee meeting right now on a new congressional map that potentially could eliminate five Democratic held U.S. congressional seats in favor of Republicans. The State House approved the new map last night after a week's long standoff that saw Democrats in Texas leave Texas and protest.

Joining us now is Gina Hinojosa. She's a Democrat in the Texas State Legislature. Gina, thanks so much for joining us. Democrats fought to avoid this day, so where do you go from here?

STATE REP. GINA HINOJOSA (D-TX): We go straight to federal court. This is a direct attack on not just the Voting Rights Act, but it is a direct attack on the constitutional rights of people of color in Texas. This map that just passed the House is, yes, trying to gain five new Republican seats for Donald Trump in the U.S. Congress through Texas. But it is doing it on the backs of the Latino community and the African American community by targeting for elimination congressional districts that are majority, minority.

BLITZER: Yesterday, the Texas House speaker, Dustin Burrows, repeatedly refused to answer when you asked him whether you would be arrested if you left the House chamber without a permission slip, which allows Texas authorities to monitor your movements. Have you received any clarification at all on that and do you intend to test it?

HINOJOSA: Well, I never signed a permission slip to be clear. I was not going to consent to the giving away of my freedom to represent the people of Austin who elected me. I do not answer to the speaker, the governor, or any of the Republican leadership. I answer to my constituents. But the call on the House, which was the speaker stated authority for his arrest power over us is -- has been lifted because it was only in effect until the passage of their power grab of congressional redistricting mid-decade, and that has now passed the House.

BLITZER: California's legislature. As you know, Gina is poised to vote on its redistricting plan in retaliation for Texas Republicans' redistricting efforts where you are you satisfied with that or would you like to see more Democratic controlled states in addition to California take specific action? HINOJOSA: Well, Texas House Democrats made it a point to visit with governors, Democratic governors across this country to stress the threat that was coming out of Texas with this attempt by Donald Trump and Texas Republicans to rig the 2026 midterms.

[10:35:00]

I am glad California is taking actions to protect against and nullify what Texas is doing. And yes, other states, if they want to protect the rights and really the lives of their citizens, when you think about the stakes, then I would think they would also be looking at trying to redistrict mid-decade. But let me stress that for Texans and especially our Latino communities and our African American communities, the harm will be done by this bill if it does not get overturned by the federal courts. And nothing that the other states do will take away from that harm.

BLITZER: Well, let me just get you to explain, what do you mean when you say lives are at stake right now?

HINOJOSA: Well, think about why Donald Trump is doing this. He is doing this because his big ugly bill is not popular with Americans. It is a bill that takes healthcare away from 17 million Americans, right? Think about this. Just that issue. That's a matter of life and death for Americans, whether they receive lifesaving healthcare. So, that's just one example. But the stakes are high and what we're seeing come out of this administration is a direct threat to our safety in our lives.

BLITZER: And what do you say to critics, Gina, who argue that both parties now are setting off potentially a nationwide redistricting arms race?

HINOJOSA: Democrats support independent redistricting commissions. That is legislation I have supported in the Texas House. If Democrats were in charge of the legislature in Texas, we would have that preferred method. We do not agree that politicians should be drawing their own maps for their own elections. That being said, Democrats do not control the legislature in Texas. We have not passed that legislation. And so, I understand Democrats in other states are needing to fight fire with fire to again protect their constituents against the harm of this power grab and this rigging of the 2026 election through Texas.

BLITZER: Gina Hinojosa from the Texas State House, thanks so much for joining us.

HINOJOSA: My pleasure. Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: And just ahead, as hundreds of federal troops are stationed right here in Washington, D.C. the nation's capital, what people living here feel about Trump's police takeover?

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[10:40:00] BLITZER: New details this morning about President Trump's police takeover here in the nation's capital. A new poll finds most D.C. residents feel less safe after he deployed troops to patrol the city. And roughly 8 in 10 Washingtonians oppose his recent actions here. And new video shows federal officers detaining a man on the National Mall. We want to warn our viewers some might find this video disturbing. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: He was saying in Spanish he was here to work and not to be arrested. A Homeland Security Department spokesperson said the man is undocumented from Mexico and was arrested before, but NBC4 here in Washington is reporting that a person with the same name who faced similar charges had them dropped without prosecution.

Joining us now, CNN Political commentator and former Trump White House Communications Director, Alyssa Farah Griffin. Alyssa, thanks so much for joining us. Police who live here in D.C. say they don't feel like -- people don't feel they -- that this makes the city safer right now. Councilman Zachary Parker told me yesterday that the moves were, quote, "not about crime, this is about power and control," his words. Does he have a point?

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: So, I think what the Trump administration is thinking is, listen, they'd rather argue about how people feel about crime rather than the stats. Democrats tend to turn to the stats and they say, on average crime is down in D.C. It's not nearly as high as it was even just three years ago. But Republicans and Trump are trying to argue, but people don't feel quite as safe.

And they're pointing to places like Union Station where you may come in and feel like you're seeing homeless encampments or you may see some stores that have closed because of crime. And they really want to go Democrats into this fight to say, D.C. is perfectly safe. And then they'll be able to point to, oh, well there was a carjacking here, or there was this there.

What I think they're misreading is this. When Americans see U.S. troops on U.S. soil, they think chaos. They don't think safety. They think of Kent State. They don't think of this is a sign of American strength in the nation's capital. This morning, attorney General Pam Bondi's out with a statement though, saying they've made 630 arrests. They've confiscated a certain number of illegal guns. They've actually found a missing child. So, they're going to point to the success stories, but I think D.C. is really on edge. This idea of seeing National Guard policing the streets is just not something we're used to.

BLITZER: Yes, D.C. is really on edge right now. And as you say, you see armored personnel carriers and Humvees and U.S. military personnel on the streets outside of Union Station, not very far from where we are right now, and people get nervous about that. We saw the vice president, J. D. Vance, as you know, and the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, along with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Steven Miller, visit Union Station in Washington, that's the main railroad station, the main train station here in the nation's capital. Look at this. Let me play this clip.

[10:45:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: Free D.C., free D.C., free D.C.

J. D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: This is the guy who thinks people don't deserve order in their own community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Inside Union Station, they went to a Shake Shack in there, but not very well received by the folks who were walking around.

GRIFFIN: And listen, I'm all for thanking the troops, but this is a heavily a Democratic city. This is also a city that regardless of the politics, the statue show are not favorable of this federal takeover. So, I'm not really sure how they thought that this event was going to go.

And what stood out to me is this, is how political in nature the brief remarks that were given were, leaning into the fact that this is the Trump administration standing up against crime. How this should work is it should be the federal government, if necessary, partnering with the mayor, partnering with the D.C. Metropolitan Police and saying, hey, here's where crime has risen. Here's neighborhoods that used to be safer that don't feel safe. What resources do you need? And instead, it kind of, they jumped to kind of the 20th step that you would, which is bringing in the National Guard.

But here's what's interesting is, for this to continue after the 30 days, it's going to require a congressional appropriation. And I'm not sure that there's an appetite, certainly on the Democratic side of the aisle, but even for Republican members, conservatives generally don't like to say, hey, U.S. taxpayers, you have to pay to secure the streets of D.C. People want their own communities they live in safe.

So, I could see a world in which, in just a number of days they claim victory. They say, we did this many number of arrests. And look, President Trump deserves credit.

BLITZER: While I have you, Alyssa, I want to get to some other stories as well. Good to have you by the way, here in the Situation Room. Yesterday a federal judge said he would not unseal grand jury transcripts and exhibits from the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. He also said that the information from the grand jury is small relative to the entire investigation file already in the U.S. Justice Department's possession. Do you think the Trump administration actually wants this information to come out?

GRIFFIN: It's a tough question. So, I think the administration recognizes they have to show something. The outrage around the lack of transparency around Epstein isn't going away. You're still hearing from Joe Rogan, big backers of Donald Trump's in the 2024 election, asking and demanding more transparency. You also have Republican members of Congress at their town halls hearing from their constituents.

So, I think showing that they're at least trying to get something out is something that they can point to. But the real thing is going to come down to Congress. So, the Oversight Committee is working with the Department of Justice. It looks like they've got kind of a tentative agreement to get more information. That might satiate some folk's appetites who really want to see more.

But what I would caution is this, having worked in the House and also in the administration, DOJ gets to decide what it turns over more or less. The -- if there is something that they don't think is favorable to the administration, if there's something they don't want to turn over, it's very likely the public will never see it. And Comer, to his credit, I think, has been advocating for transparency here, but he's also not going to do anything that damages the president.

So, long and short, I don't know that the public's ever going to truly get to the bottom of the Epstein saga, but we might get a little bit more information.

BLITZER: Yes, Comer, the chairman of the committee, overseeing all of this. DOJ, the Department of Justice. Just want to make sure. All of our viewers here in the U.S. and around the world know what you're talking about.

GRIFFIN: Thank you.

BLITZER: Alyssa Farah Griffin, as usual, thank you.

GRIFFIN: Appreciate it.

BLITZER: Please come back.

GRIFFIN: I'd love to.

BLITZER: You promise?

GRIFFIN: I promise.

BLITZER: All right. Great. Alyssa Farah Griffin, helping us appreciate what's going on. Coming up next hour, the Menendez brothers are making their case for freedom in the first of two parole hearings underway right now. Stay with us. You're in the Situation Room.

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[10:50:00]

BLITZER: Can anyone stop Scottie Scheffler? It's not just his play that's truly incredible, but also his mental approach to the game. CNN Sports Anchor Andy Scholes is joining us right now. Andy, Scheffler is the world's number one golfer right now and is looking to make more history, at least at East Lake in Atlanta, not far from where you are. What more can you tell us about where his head is right now?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, it's certainly a good place, Wolf, after winning once again last week, and you know, everyone on the PGA Tour, they're awesome at golf, but Scheffler, you know, he says the key is to being awesome all the time. It is not an easy thing to do, but he's certainly doing that right now.

You know, Scheffler, he is posted 17 straight rounds under par. He's the first player since Tiger Woods in 2007 with back-to-back five-win seasons on the PGA Tour. And starting today, you know, he is looking to become the first player to defend the FedEx Cup title here in Atlanta. And Scheffler, he is the biggest favorite to win the Tour Championship since Tiger back in 2009. So, what's his secret right now?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER, WORLD NUMBER 1 AND 2024 FEDEX CUP CHAMPION: I feel like the reason I've had success in these tournaments is like other -- I don't hit the ball the furthest, like the things that I do on the golf course other people can do, I think it's just the amount of consistency and the intensity that I bring to each round of golf is not taking shots off, not taking rounds off, not taking tournaments off. Like when I show up at a tournament, I'm here for a purpose and that's to compete hard and you compete hard on every shot, and that's -- I think it's a lot easier said than done, and I think I've been in a good head space the last couple years where I've been able to stand up over a ball and focus on what I'm doing and just try and pull it off.

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SCHOLES: All right. So, can anyone beat Scheffler this weekend? He tees off with Rory McIlroy, two Eastern this afternoon in round one at the Tour Championship. No starting strokes lead anymore for the FedEx title. All 30 guys starting even par going for that big prize, Wolf.

And hey, you know, if Scottie needs some tips on longer drives, I understand that the Situation Room has one seasoned golfer who can lend a hand. Let's --

BLITZER: Well, I wouldn't --

SCIUTTO: There it is. Right there, Wolf.

[10:55:00]

BLITZER: -- exactly call that -- I wouldn't exactly call myself a seasoned golfer. I've now taken, what, three or four lessons. I'm learning how to swing and how to play golf, and it's a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to a wonderful, wonderful experience out there on the golf course.

SCHOLES: Yes. You long off the tee yet, Wolf? How's your drive? BLITZER: It's pretty good. My instructor keeps telling me I have great natural instincts, I got great potential and it's going to be wonderful. I don't think Scottie Scheffler has to worry about me, but I think I have some potential.

SCHOLES: All right. All right. I love to hear it, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Andy Scholes, thanks very. How's your golf?

SCHOLES: Not great. Not great.

BLITZER: No. OK. All right. One of these days you'll take it up. All right. Thanks.

SCHOLES: All right.

BLITZER: Coming up during the next hour of the Situation Room, we'll have the latest update on Hurricane Erin from the National Hurricane Center. We're live as Erin batters the East Coast from afar.

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