President Trump celebrated the Indiana House’s passage of a new congressional map on Truth Social, praising Republican leaders and declaring it “much fairer.” He noted that the map would add two GOP seats in 2026, urged the Senate to pass it “AS IS,” and publicly pressured nine specific Republican state senators by name, threatening primaries for opposition.
Reacting to the same event, Gov. Mike Braun echoed the call for swift Senate approval. Democrats decried the map as racist voter suppression in a typically embarrassing and irrelevant series of rants. The bill’s author, Rep. Ben Smaltz, revealed the map came directly from the National Republican Redistricting Trust and predicted mid-decade redistricting is “the new normal.
Reacting to the great news in a Truth Social post, the president signaled his approval. “Congratulations to Indiana’s tremendous Republican State Representatives, led by GREAT Speaker Todd Huston, Bill Sponsor Ben Smaltz, and Elections Committee Chairman Tim Wesco, who just overwhelmingly voted to pass their new, much fairer, and improved, Congressional Map,” Trump noted.
Continuing his comments, the president noted, “It was my Honor to win Indiana six times, including Primaries, in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and this new Map would give the incredible people of Indiana the opportunity to elect TWO additional Republicans in the 2026 Midterm Elections.”
Next, Trump turned up the heat on the state senate. “The Indiana Senate must now pass this Map, AS IS, and get it to Governor Mike Braun’s desk, ASAP, to deliver a gigantic Victory for Republicans in the “Hoosier State,” and across the Country,” he emphasized.
Building on this point, he said, “I am hearing that these nine Senators, some of whom are up for Re-Election in 2026, and some in 2028, need encouragement to make the right decision: Blake Doriot, Brett Clark, Brian Buchanan, Dan Dernulc, Ed Charbonneau, Greg Goode, Jim Buck, Rick Niemeyer, and Ryan Mishler.”
Concluding his comments, Trump issued a full-throated call for action, saying, “Let your voice be heard loud and clear in support of these Senators doing the right thing. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
"*" indicates required fields
Reeling from the news, Democrats embarrassed themselves with political theatrics. “What we’re doing today with this proposed legislation is taking away the rights of Black and brown people in Indiana. It cracks Marion County!” whined Democratic state Rep. Greg Porter.
Offering context as to the origins of the bill, Republican state Rep. Ben Smaltz, the author of the legislation, noted “[…] the map and bill language were provided by the National Republican Redistricting Trust […] the trust gave Indiana Republicans one option for the statewide map.” Additionally, he predicted that redistricting “may be the new normal.”
Signalling his support, Gov. Mike Braun (R-Indiana), put pressure on the state senate, saying, “I urge the Senate to move quickly next week and adopt this map so Indiana can move forward with confidence.”