President Donald Trump is escalating his criticism of Indiana Republican State Senator Rodric Bray, blaming the Senate Majority Leader for blocking a push to redraw the state’s congressional map.
Posting on Truth Social over the weekend, Trump said he and David McIntosh of the Club for Growth plan to campaign against Bray, calling him a “total RINO [Republican In Name Only]” and accusing him of betraying the party and the “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” movement.
McIntosh, a former Indiana congressman, echoed the message on X, writing: “President Trump and I are aligned. Rod Bray is going down.”
Why It Matters
Trump has been urging Republican-led states to redraw U.S. House district maps mid-decade—rather than waiting for the next census cycle—in an effort to create more GOP-friendly seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The strategy is aimed at protecting or expanding Republicans’ narrow House majority.
The broader push has sharpened gerrymandering battles across the country, with Democrats also exploring map changes in some states. Trump’s remarks come after Virginia House Democrats on Wednesday approved a redistricting constitutional amendment for a second time, clearing the way for a state Senate vote as the party moves to redraw the Old Dominion’s House map ahead of the midterms, which will take place in November.
What To Know
Indiana lawmakers debated a proposal to redraw the state’s congressional districts in late 2025, but the effort stalled after the Indiana State Senate voted it down in December. The measure had advanced to a third reading before being defeated, preventing it from reaching Governor Mike Braun, who supported redistricting and in October called a special legislative session so lawmakers could take up the issue.
The push to redraw the map also had backing from Vice President JD Vance—who traveled to Indianapolis in October to meet with state lawmakers to discuss the issue—and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Vance took direct aim at Bray this weekend as well, writing on X: “I’d like to thank @bray_rodric for not even trying to fight back against this extraordinary Democrat abuse of power. Now the votes of Indiana Republicans will matter far less than the votes of Virginia Democrats. We told you it would happen, and you did nothing.”
Bray became a key figure in the standoff in November, when he argued the chamber did not have the votes to pass redistricting legislation and should not reconvene for the special session Braun had called.
Despite that, the state Senate ultimately met in December—and the redistricting plan failed. In the final vote, 21 Republicans joined all 10 Democrats to defeat the measure 31–19.
It also wasn’t Trump’s first public clash with Bray. In November, Trump attacked him on social media, calling him “weak and pathetic,” and warned that Republicans who oppose redistricting could face primary challenges.
“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,” Trump wrote at the time. He added: “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.”
What Happens Next
It remains unclear whether Indiana lawmakers will revisit redistricting in a future legislative session.
