Indiana is Trump’s next target for illegal redistricting
Desperate to secure Republican Party control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, President Donald Trump is using the power of his office to put pressure on Indiana officials– where Republicans already dominate – to redraw the maps to oust Democrats altogether.
On Friday, Trump called a meeting of the Indiana Senate Republican caucus in support of redistricting, which comes as the White House steps up its pressure campaign to gerrymander Indiana seats.
A week ago, the White House sent Vice President JD Vance in Indiana to push Republicans to support the redistricting plot. Republican Senator Jim Banks said in September that Indiana “could be ground zero” in deciding who controls the House.
The focus on Indiana seems to indicate a weakness for the Republican Party, because Indiana is by no means a random state. Asset easily won the state from 57% to 41% in the 2020 elections, and the current breakup of Congress that’s nine Republicans and only two Democrats.
The push for redistricting also goes against the wishes of Indiana residents. In a recent North Star Opinion Research Survey for independent Indiana, 53% of registered voters in Indiana said they opposed redrawing congressional districts. Most of the opposition comes from Democrats at 85% and independents at 59%, but even 25% of Republicans denounce rigging of the democratic process.
The action in Indiana echoes other GOP efforts across the country to redraw districts. By using demographic data to create Republican-friendly congressional districts — even in areas where Democrats have more support — the party hopes to maintain its slim majority.
Voters will likely be motivated to punish Republicans for Trump’s mismanagement of the economy – including tariffs that hurt job growth-his embrace of authoritarian tactics used to oppress American cities, the Closure of the Republican governmentAnd health care cuts in the “A great and beautiful bill”.
The Republican Party is trying to prevent a repeat of Trump’s first, disastrous midterm election in 2018, when, still buoyed by his surprise victory in the 2016 election, Republicans were beaten from coast to coast and lost control of the House.
The new philosophy of the Republican Party is to change the rules, to discuss democracy so as to never lose.
