AURORA, Ill. — Leading Illinois Democrats and the head of the national Democratic Party joined Texas House Democrats Tuesday in a call for a political redistricting fight to expand to a national battle on Tuesday.

Texas House Democrats have been trying to widen the message of their decision to break quorum at the Legislature and halt efforts to pass a partisan gerrymander that would flip as many as five Democratic seats in Congress to Republican control.

The fight would not only reshape Texas’ congressional delegation but also has the potential to allow Republicans to hold onto control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm. Democrats could be favored in the election should voters seek backlash to President Donald Trump’s agenda.

“America, this is not a Texas fight,” said state Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, D-San Antonio. “This is an American fight, and we need each and every one of you involved and engaged.”

It was the second day since House Democrats broke quorum in the Texas Legislature, with 57 lawmakers refusing to report to the Capitol for a vote on the partisan redistricting proposal. Their move effectively halted all action in the House in a 30-day special session that has been dominated by redistricting.

Trump has called for Texas to flip five Texas seats to Republicans. On Tuesday, the president defended the redistricting effort, saying, “They did it to us.”

Speaking to CNBC’s Squawk Box on Tuesday, Trump said blue states have gerrymandered their congressional district lines to tilt the field against Republicans.

“They go to Illinois for safety, but that’s all gerrymandered. California is gerrymandered. We should have many more seats in Congress in California. It’s all gerrymandered,” Trump said. “And we have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats. We have a really good governor and we have good people in Texas. And I won Texas. I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats.”

Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin responded to Trump’s comments during a news conference at a construction workers’ union hall in Aurora, Ill. Martin was on hand with Gov. JB Pritzker, who has been in close contact with Texas Democrats for weeks, prior to Gov. Greg Abbott placing redistricting on a special session call.

“The fact that Donald Trump believes he’s entitled to these seats, and he’s entitled to this unconstitutional power grab, should tell you everything you need to know,” Martin said.

Pritzker stopped short of stating that he would seek to redraw congressional districts in the Democratically dominated Illinois. However, he did not rule it out either.

“If they’re going to cheat, then all of us have to take a hard look at what the effect of that cheating is on Democracy, and that means we’ve all got to stand up and do the right thing. So as far as I’m concerned, everything is on the table,” Pritzker said.

Retaliatory redistricting is also being considered in New York and California. It’s part of what some Democrats characterized as a redistricting arms race.

House Republican Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, accused Democrats of dereliction of duty Monday. Burrows also issued civil arrest warrants for the absent Democrats after House Republicans approved the measure in a partisan vote.

Burrows posted on social media Tuesday that he met with Texas Department of Public Safety leadership about enforcing the warrants.

Republicans in Austin have also accused Democrats of taking orders from Washington and putting politics over efforts to address the Hill Country floods that killed at least 137 people last month.

Burrows also said that he would not rule out seeking federal law enforcement assistance in returning Democrats to Texas. Republican leadership has until Aug. 19 before the special session concludes. However, Abbott could immediately call another special session.

Democrats also addressed concerns over how they are paying for their stays outside of the state. Most are in Illinois, while some were in New York and Massachusetts on Monday.

Pritzker, the Illinois governor, said he hasn’t paid for any of House Democrats’ expenses. Martin said the DNC has also not written any checks.

The head of the Texas House Democratic caucus, state Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, said that his phone has been buzzing constantly with supporters seeking to help their cause.

“Who is supporting us?” Wu said. “The American people.”

Texas Sen. John Cornyn posted on social media Tuesday that he sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate Democrats’ fundraising efforts related to breaking quorum.