Trump Purges Indiana Republicans Opposing His Gerrymandering
President Donald Trump launched a coordinated campaign on Truth Social endorsing six candidates while attacking six Indiana State Senate members who voted against his redistricting plan in December 2025. Trump used dehumanizing language, labeling the opposing Republicans as “RINO” (Republican in Name Only) politicians and claiming their refusal to gerrymander endangered Republican control of the House ahead of the 2026 midterms. The president explicitly tied the purge to his gerrymandering agenda, stating that Indiana could have “easily picked up two seats” had redistricting passed.
Trump targeted State Senator Travis Holdman, Jim Buck, Spencer Deery, Greg Goode, Greg Walker, and Eric Bassler with hostile posts, using epithets such as “pathetic,” “ineffective,” “LOSER,” and “pawn.” He endorsed Blake Fiechter, Tracey Powell, Paula Copenhaver, Brenda Wilson, Michelle Davis, and Jeff Ellington as replacements, branding them as “America First Patriot” and “REAL Republican” candidates loyal to his political agenda. This abuse of power demonstrates Trump’s weaponization of the presidency to eliminate Republican legislators who refuse to abuse the redistricting process for partisan gain.
The Indiana State Senate voted 31-19 against Trump’s redistricting proposal in December, prompting his threat of a “MAGA primary” to purge dissident Republicans. Trump previously threatened primary challenges against Indiana Republicans who rejected his gerrymandering demand, and his latest endorsement blitz executes that threat by channeling his presidential platform directly into state-level electoral interference. Indiana Governor Mike Braun subsequently aligned with Trump’s gerrymandering push, illustrating the authoritarian consolidation of party loyalty around Trump’s demands.
Trump’s coordinated posting spree violates foundational democratic norms by using the presidency to punish legislators for voting independently on redistricting matters. His language dehumanizes Republican opponents and frames partisan gerrymandering as a patriotic duty, conflating electoral manipulation with loyalty to him personally rather than to constitutional governance. The Supreme Court rejected the Independent State Legislature theory that Trump promoted to justify similar gerrymandering schemes, yet Trump continues leveraging executive authority to coerce state-level compliance with his redistricting agenda regardless of legal and ethical constraints.