Journalists defend Texas Democrats' decision to leave state: 'They aren't 'fleeing,' they are 'boycotting'

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Media top headlines July 13

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith admitting he 'screwed up' on his Shohei Ohtani comments, reporters and Democrats blaming US embargo for protests in Cuba, and an MSNBC host claiming 'there's a lot' national Democrats can learn from fleeing Texas Democrats round out today's headlines

Some journalists are defending and even praising the decision by Democratic Texas state lawmakers to block the passage of Republican-backed voting legislation by leaving the state.

More than 50 Democratic members of the Texas state House of Representatives fled the state Monday morning and traveled to Washington, D.C., effectively preventing a quorum from being reached for the GOP-majority chamber to vote on election reform bills.

By Monday afternoon some media figures were already praising the Democratic lawmakers. 

MSNBC HOST CLAIMS ‘THERE’S A LOT' NATIONAL DEMOCRATS CAN LEARN FROM FLEEING TEXAS DEMOCRATS

MSNBC anchor Geoff Bennett seemingly expressed his support for the Texas Democrats, telling a panel of guests on the liberal network that Democrats at the national level could learn from their actions.

"It’s interesting, because we should say, you know, the legislative system in Texas is vastly different than the legislative system here in D.C., but you do have Democrats at the national level, and I mean Democratic voters, who look at the Texas Democrats and say, not for nothing, those folks know how to fight and there’s a lot that elected Democrats on the national level can learn from that," he said. 

Other journalists took to social media to seemingly express their support as well, with some challenging other journalists' reporting that the Democrats were "fleeing" Texas, instead suggesting that it was actually a "power move." 

CRENSHAW SLAMS ‘DELINQUENT’ TEXAS DEMOCRATS WHO FLED TO DC ON PRIVATE JET: ‘YOU GUYS ARE PATHETIC’

Liberal Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah, the former Global Opinions editor at the newspaper, praised it as a "power move" and blasted reports that they were "fleeing the state."

Liberal journalist Jonathan Alter agreed, saying they were "boycotting."

ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott hyped the stunt on Monday's "World News Tonight" broadcast as the Democrats "using the only tool they have left to block one of the most restrictive voting bills in the country."

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Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed to hold the Democratic lawmakers accountable to their constituents, telling Fox News' Laura Ingraham Monday that they would be arrested once they returned to the state and brought to the Capitol to conduct business. 

Fox News' Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.