President Donald Trump and other Republicans are continuing to pressure the Republican-controlled Indiana General Assembly to immediately redraw the state's congressional district boundaries to more heavily favor Republican candidates at the 2026 elections.
Debate over the unusual, mid-decade redistricting seemingly should have ended Friday after Senate President Rod Bray, R-Martinsville, declared there's not enough support to advance new maps through the Senate, so the Senate won't convene in December to even consider a redistricting proposal.
Any change to the congressional district maps Indiana lawmakers adopted in 2021 to adjust for population shifts following the U.S. Census would require approval by the House, the Senate, and Gov. Mike Braun to take effect.
But Trump and Braun, among others, aren't taking "no" for an answer.
Trump's widely anticipated "mean tweet" on the issue was posted to his Truth Social platform Sunday. The president said he was "very disappointed" specifically with Bray and first-term state Sen. Greg Goode, R-Terre Haute — who has not taken a public position for-or-against an early redistricting — describing both as "Republicans in name only" and "politically correct-type gentlemen."
"It's weak 'Republicans' that cause our Country such problems — It's why we have crazy Policies and Ideas that are so bad for America," Trump said.
Trump also blamed Braun for the lack of support for redistricting in the Senate, suggesting Indiana's governor "is not working the way he should to get the necessary votes."
"Considering that Mike wouldn't be Governor without me (Not even close!), is disappointing! Any Republican that votes against this important redistricting, potentially having an impact on America itself, should be PRIMARIED," Trump said.
A few hours after Trump mentioned Goode in his social media post, an unknown person submitted a false request for police to urgently respond to injured individuals at Goode's home — a crime the Vigo County Sheriff's Department classified as "swatting," which typically aims to trigger the deployment of a SWAT team or other militarized police response that sometimes has fatal consequences.
"While this entire incident is unfortunate and reflective of the volatile nature of our current political environment, I give thanks to God that my family and I are OK," Goode said. "Vigo County sheriff's deputies responded to the incident under the impression of a domestic violence emergency. The deputies professionally fulfilled their duty."
Despite the attack on an Indiana senator and his family, Braun was back on offense for redistricting and the "Make America Great Again" agenda Monday morning following a telephone call with Trump.
"I told him I remain committed to standing with him on the critical issue of passing fair maps in Indiana to ensure the MAGA agenda is successful in Congress," Braun said.
"The Indiana State Senate is hiding behind closed doors and refusing to even bring redistricting to a vote. Hoosiers deserve to know where their legislators stand and expect them to show up for work, not walk out and hide in the dark."
Braun later said: "Targeting elected officials and their families in their homes or private lives has no place in Indiana." He also pledged the Indiana State Police will work with federal authorities to identify the perpetrator of the swatting attack.
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