Trump's Indiana wins show his power over GOP with more primaries and redistricting debates ahead

INDIANAPOLIS -- Five months ago, President Donald Trump was stinging from one of the first political defeats of his second term as Republican state senators defied him on redistricting in Indiana. Now he has proved he can still punish wayward party members after he endorsed a slate of challengers who defeated almost every one of the lawmakers he wanted to dislodge.

The results will likely bolster Trump's confidence heading into upcoming Republican primaries where he wants to help oust more incumbents, including U.S Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

Indiana's primary also ratchets up the pressure on Republican lawmakers in other states to move aggressively to redraw congressional district boundaries before the November elections. Alabama and Tennessee have already begun special sessions that could limit Black voters' strength in Democratic-leaning districts, and some of Trump's allies in South Carolina want to follow suit.

The results were a clear signal that despite Trump's lame duck status, sagging poll numbers and difficult prospects in the November elections, his decade-long dominance over the Republican Party remains unrivaled.

State Sen. Linda Rogers, one of the Indiana lawmakers who voted against redistricting and lost her seat Tuesday, said the outcome "will probably discourage others in other states."

"If someone is going to ask you to take a tough vote, you may think twice about your conscience and what's best for your community and instead what's best for you and your career," she said.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, who sided with Trump, said it was a "historic night" and he thanked Republican voters who "stood with me and President Trump to nominate some great America First conservatives."

Trump started the redistricting competition

Redistricting efforts began last year when Trump saw an opportunity to give Republicans an additional edge. Indiana stood out as a Republican-run state that declined to give Trump what he wanted, even as GOP- and Democratic-led states traded gerrymandering maneuvers in a national competition.

After the Indiana Senate rejected the redistricting plan in December, Trump pledged to punish defiant lawmakers. His allies spent more than $8.3 million on races that usually see very little spending.

Andy Zay, a state senator who voted against redistricting, chose to resign in January rather than run again. He was a target of harassment and threats in the months leading up to the vote. He said Trump's influence and heavy spending made it tough for incumbents to hang on.

"Trump matters and money matters," he said.

Five of Trump's targets lost their races. One won. One race was too close to call.

Trump allies celebrated the results and warned other Republicans who might be thinking of opposing the president

"Redistrict ASAP for the November election or you face a real risk of losing your seat. No excuses," Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist, wrote on social media. "Reschedule primaries if you must but redraw the map. Voters demand action NOW, not weakness."

Redistricting efforts were supercharged last week when the U.S. Supreme Court gutted a provision of the Voting Rights Act that influenced how political lines are drawn in areas with large nonwhite populations.

James Blair, one of Trump's top political advisers, was more direct, posting an image from the movie "Gladiator" depicting Russell Crowe's ancient Roman character Maximus exulting after a combat victory.

In Congress, Massie and Cassidy have stood up to Trump

Trump was relatively restrained on social media. He shared a series of photos celebrating the victories of candidates he endorsed in Indiana and Ohio, which also held primaries Tuesday. But he otherwise passed on boasting or renewing his attacks on Massie or Cassidy.

Massie has been among the members of Congress who frustrated the president by pressing for release of the Jeffrey Epstein case files, challenging Trump for taking military action in Iran without congressional approval and voting against the party's sweeping tax-and-budget bill last year.

"I vote with the Republican Party and this president 90% of the time, and the 10% of the time that I'm not voting with the party or the president, I'm keeping the promises that the president and I campaigned on," Massie recently told Kentucky's PBS affiliate.

Explaining his vote against Trump's signature domestic achievement, Massie called it "a big spending bill" and said he has voted consistently "not to bankrupt this country."

Trump has endorsed Massie's challenger, retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, and campaigned for him before the May 19 primary. In Louisiana, Trump backs Rep. Julie Letlow over Cassidy in their May 16 primary, which includes other candidates.

Cassidy was among the Republican senators who voted to convict Trump on 2021 impeachment charges after the Jan. 6 riot. But he also has given Trump consistent support. Most notably, the Baton Rouge physician advanced Robert Kennedy Jr.'s controversial nomination as Trump's health secretary.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., noted Wednesday that Trump has gone after Massie before, only for the congressman to win reelection.

"Thomas Massie has been very popular in his district," McCarthy said during a "Fox & Friends" interview. Still, he warned, it is not an ideal situation for any Republican to run without Trump's backing.

"I would not want President Trump against me in any election," McCarthy said, calling Trump's influence with Republican primary voters unprecedented.

Indiana shows how far Trump will go to purge GOP

It is unusual for a sitting president to be focused on attacking and defeating his own party members this deep into a midterm election year.

Rogers, the Indiana state senator, faced almost $670,000 in television advertising against her, funded by political action committees associated with Braun and U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind.

She said she does not regret her vote against redistricting.

"It would have been easy for me to hit that 'yes' button," she said. "To hear the number of people who asked me not to, then the number of people who thanked me, would mean I wasn't representing them."

Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa, and Barrow from Atlanta.