Texas Democrat Jolanda Jones apologizes for comparing redistricting to the Holocaust

Texas Democratic state Rep. Jolanda Jones apologized Tuesday for comparing Republican efforts to redraw the Lone Star State’s congressional maps to the slaughter of more than 6 million Jewish people during the Holocaust. 

Jones, 59, is one of more than 50 Texas House Democrats who fled the state capital in order to stall a special legislative session to consider the redistricting proposal – which could net Republicans as many as five additional seats in the US House of Representatives ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. 

“They don’t accept us. They are showing us who they are, and we should believe them. And we better have the courage to stand up, otherwise we will fall for anything,” Jones said Tuesday during an appearance on “The Don Lemon Show,” discussing the redistricting push.  

“And in this country, we will be defeated, deported. I mean, we will lose all of our rights. And if you think it can’t happen, it can,” the Houston-area representative continued, just before making the outlandish comparison. 

“And I will liken this to the Holocaust,” Jones added. “People are like, ‘Well, how did the Holocaust happen? How was somebody in a position to kill all them people?’ Well, good people remain silent, or good people didn’t realize that what happens to them can very soon happen to me or somebody I love.” 

Jones quickly retracted her comparison, apologized and claimed that she got “emotional” her interview with the former CNN host. 

“I made a statement on ‘The Don Lemon Show’ comparing Trump’s attempt to disenfranchise Black and Brown people to the Holocaust. That was a mistake, and I apologize for it,” Jones said in a statement to Fox News Digital.  

“Trump is coming for my community, and I get emotional about it and make strong statements. But that was going too far, and I retract that comparison,” she added. 

A spokesman for Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott criticized Jones’ remarks on Lemon’s show. 

“Fleeing Texas House Democrats continue to beclown themselves through this desperate, anti-democratic stunt,” Andrew Mahaleris told Fox News Digital. “Unlike these radicals, Governor Abbott refuses to abandon Texans.” 

“If the House Democrats who deserted Texans were serious about delivering results, they would come back to the Texas Capitol and do the job voters elected them to do.”

Jones and the rest of the absentee Democrats – many of whom appear to be holed in Illinois and New York –  have prevented the state House of Representatives from reaching the quorum necessary to continue with legislative business.  

State House lawmakers on Monday passed a motion to issue arrest warrants for the missing lawmakers. 

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) on Tuesday asked the FBI for help tracking down the Democrats who crossed state lines to avoid a vote on redistricting. 

Meanwhile, Abbott has moved to remove the Democrats from office and has directed state law enforcement to arrest them and investigate potential legal violations related to their refusal to participate in the special session. 

Jones did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.