• Vote marks first time Republican-led legislature has rejected Trump’s mid-decade redistricting push
• At least 12 GOP lawmakers faced violent threats, swatting attempts during weeks-long debate
• Trump vows to primary any Indiana Republicans who voted against the map

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (TDR) — The Indiana Senate on Thursday rejected a Trump-backed congressional map in a 19-31 vote, dealing a major blow to the president after he had publicly pressured state lawmakers for months to approve the new lines.

A Rare Rebuke

The vote marked a stunning instance of elected Republicans defying Donald Trump, with 21 GOP senators joining all 10 Democrats to kill the redistricting effort. Indiana became the first Republican-led state legislature to vote down Trump’s mid-decade redistricting campaign.

The aggressive 9-0 map would have eliminated the districts of the state’s two Democratic congressmen, Reps. André Carson of Indianapolis and Frank Mrvan of northwest Indiana, by carving their constituencies into heavily Republican rural areas.

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10

“My opposition to mid-cycle gerrymandering is not in contrast to my conservative principles—my opposition is driven by them,” Republican State Sen. Spencer Deery said during the debate.

“As long as I have breath, I will use my voice to resist a federal government that attempts to bully, direct, and control this state or any state.”

Trump’s Pressure Campaign

The result was not entirely unexpected, as Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray had warned for weeks that the votes weren’t there. But Trump and his allies escalated their threats in the final days.

On Wednesday night, Trump attacked Bray on Truth Social, calling him “either a bad guy, or a very stupid one” and warning that anyone who voted against redistricting would face a “MAGA primary in the Spring.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE THE DUPREE REPORT

Vice President JD Vance targeted Bray by name Thursday, accusing him of privately working to turn his caucus against the maps while telling the White House he wouldn’t fight redistricting. “That level of dishonesty cannot be rewarded,” Vance wrote.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and members of his leadership team were calling state lawmakers earlier this week urging them to support the new map.

Violent Threats Marred Debate

The redistricting saga took an alarming turn as at least 12 Republican lawmakers faced violent threats and swatting attempts since Trump began his pressure campaign. State Rep. Tim Yocum, who voted against the proposal in the House last week, received a pipe bomb threat at his home Wednesday night.

“This is my 14th year, and I’ve not seen this kind of tactics,” said Sen. Michael Crider, one of the victims.

Republican Sen. Greg Goode, who was swatted hours after Trump called him a “RINO” on social media, criticized “over-the-top pressure from inside the Statehouse and outside” before voting no.

Civil War Looms

The defiance threatens to mire Indiana Republicans in internal conflict heading into the midterms. Governor Mike Braun, who supported Trump’s push, posted his frustration on X after the vote, warning of “political consequences.”

Donald Trump Jr. vowed that if Indiana Republicans “side with these Never Trumpers to do the dirty work of Democrats, I’ll be spending a lot of time in Indiana next year campaigning against every single one of them.”

Without new boundaries in Indiana, Republicans may not achieve the redistricting advantage they had hoped for nationally. Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina passed GOP-favorable maps, while California voters approved Democratic-drawn districts last month.

Has Trump’s grip on state-level Republicans begun to slip, or will Indiana prove to be an isolated act of defiance?

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10