• Indiana becomes first Republican-led state legislature to reject Trump’s redistricting demands
• Senate voted 31-19 against map despite weeks of White House pressure and Vance visits
• Governor Braun pledges to work with Trump to “challenge” senators who opposed the measure

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (TDR) — President Donald Trump vowed Thursday to support primary challenges against Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray and other Republican lawmakers who helped defeat a Trump-backed effort to redraw the state’s congressional map.

The Indiana Senate voted 31-19 to reject a redistricting plan designed to give Republicans a 9-0 advantage among the state’s congressional delegation. Twenty-one Republicans joined all 10 Democrats to defeat the measure, which Trump had aggressively lobbied for in hopes of protecting the GOP’s slim House majority heading into the 2026 midterms.

Trump Responds From Oval Office

Shortly after the vote failed, a reporter asked Trump for his reaction during an Oval Office press availability.

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

“In Indiana just a few moments ago, the Senate there rejected the congressional maps to redistrict in that state,” she said. “A number of Republicans voted against that redistricting effort. You have spent a lot of time talking about this. The vice president traveled to Indiana. What’s your reaction?”

Trump again name-checked Bray but brushed off the defeat, claiming he “wasn’t working on it very hard.”

The president’s dismissive tone Thursday contrasted sharply with the intense pressure campaign he waged in the weeks leading up to the vote.

Weeks of White House Pressure

Trump had personally called state lawmakers seeking support and dispatched Vice President JD Vance to Indiana twice. The administration also invited state legislators to the White House as part of their lobbying effort.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE THE DUPREE REPORT

On the eve of the vote, Trump took to Truth Social to blast Bray as “either a bad guy, or a very stupid one!”

“Anybody that votes against Redistricting, and the SUCCESS of the Republican Party in D.C., will be, I am sure, met with a MAGA Primary in the Spring. Rod Bray and his friends won’t be in Politics for long, and I will do everything within my power to make sure that they will not hurt the Republican Party, and our Country, again.”

Trump allies including the Club for Growth, Turning Point USA, and groups led by veteran Republican operatives aired advertisements, held statehouse rallies, and vowed to unseat senators who broke with the president.

Vance Accuses Bray of Dishonesty

During the Senate debate Thursday, Vance escalated his attacks on Bray, accusing him of working against redistricting while publicly claiming neutrality.

“Rod Bray, the Senate leader in Indiana, has consistently told us he wouldn’t fight redistricting while simultaneously whipping his members against it,” Vance wrote on X. “That level of dishonesty cannot be rewarded, and the Indiana GOP needs to choose a side.”

Governor Mike Braun also expressed disappointment, calling the opposing senators “misguided” and pledging consequences.

“I will be working with the President to challenge these people who do not represent the best interests of Hoosiers,” Braun said.

Bray Remains Unfazed

Bray appeared unmoved by the threats, telling reporters after the vote that Indiana would “continue to function” despite potential retaliation from Washington.

“It’s their prerogative to have opinions about what we’re doing here. So, that’s fair,” Bray said when asked about criticism from Trump and Vance.

The defeat marks the first time a Republican-led state legislature has rejected Trump’s mid-cycle redistricting push. Other GOP-controlled states including Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina passed new maps to further favor the party.

Will Trump’s threatened primary challenges succeed in deep-red Indiana, or has the president discovered the limits of his influence over state-level Republicans?

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