As legislators meet for Organization Day, the start of the 2026 session, on Tuesday, they will grapple with President Donald Trump’s direct criticism and a swatting call to a State Senator’s house after the Indiana Senate declined to vote on mid-census redistricting.
In a Sunday morning Truth Social post, Trump called out “RINO” Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Rod Bray, R-Martinsville, and Senator Greg Goode, R-Terre Haute, “for not wanting to redistrict their state, allowing the United States Congress to perhaps gain two more Republican seats.”
“Because of these two politically correct type ‘gentlemen,’ and a few others, they could be depriving Republicans of a Majority in the house, A VERY BIG DEAL!,” Trump wrote. “It’s weak ‘Republicans’ that cause our Country such problems – It’s why we have crazy policies and ideas that are so bad for America.”
Trump also called out Gov. Mike Braun for “perhaps … not working the way he should to get the necessary votes.”
“Considering that Mike wouldn’t be Governor without me (Not even close!), is disappointing! Any Republican that votes against this important redistricting, potentially having an impact on America itself, should be PRIMARIED,” Trump wrote.
Goode and his family were victims of a swatting incident Sunday night after a fake communication was sent to local police, according to a statement from the senator’s office.
Vigo County sheriff’s deputies responded to the house after Terre Haute police received an email around 5 p.m. alleging “harm had been done to persons inside a home,” according to a department news release. Eventually, they made contact with people inside the home, who were determined to be “secure, safe, and unharmed,” and the incident was determined to be a false or prank call, also known as swatting, police said.
“While this entire incident is unfortunate and reflective of the volatile nature of our current political environment, I give thanks to God that my family and I are ok,” Goode said in a statement.
Goode did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Trump’s post impacted his vote on redistricting.
A spokeswoman for Bray did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a Twitter/X post on Monday, Braun wrote he “had a great call” with Trump where he told the president he is “committed to standing with him on the critical issue of passing fair maps in Indiana to ensure the MAGA agenda is successful in Congress.”
“The Indiana State Senate is hiding behind closed doors and refusing to even bring redistricting to a vote. Hoosiers deserve to know where their legislators stand and expect them to show up for work, not walk out and hide in the dark,” Braun said.
In a separate post, after the tweet about his call with Trump, Braun said “targeting elected officials and their families in their homes or private lives has no place in Indiana.” He said he was glad that Goode and his family were safe.
“Protecting the rights of all Hoosiers to safely engage in political debate is one of my fundamental duties as Governor and the Indiana State Police will continue working closely with the Indiana General Assembly to ensure the safety and security of our elected officials,” Braun said.
The Indiana Senate announced Friday it canceled a two-week session to discuss mid-census redistricting because of a lack of votes.
“Over the last several months, Senate Republicans have given very serious and thoughtful consideration to the concept of redrawing our state’s congressional maps. Today, I’m announcing there are not enough votes to move that idea forward, and the Senate will not reconvene in December,” Bray said in a statement Friday.
The 2026 session begins Tuesday, with Organization Day, after which the Senate will reconvene Jan. 5, 2026.
The Senate had been a hurdle for Indiana’s redistricting efforts after a spokeswoman for Bray told reporters last month that the Senate did not have the votes to pass new Congressional maps.
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith issued a statement in support of redistricting, calling the Indiana Senate a place “where conservative ideas from the House go to die,” seemingly in response to a Politico article about the Indiana Senate not having enough votes to pass new maps.
“The people of Indiana did not elect a Republican supermajority so our Senate could cower, compromise, or collapse at the very moment courage is (required),” Beckwith said in his statement. “Yet, here we are again. The Indiana Republican-controlled Senate is failing to stand with President Trump, failing to defend the voice of Hoosier voters, and failing to deliver the 9-0 conservative map our citizens overwhelmingly expect.”
Trump and national Republicans have been pressuring red states to change their congressional maps before the 2026 election to increase Republican control of the U.S. House.
In August, Texas lawmakers approved redistricted maps to include five new districts that would favor Republicans. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed off on the new maps, but a lawsuit has been filed against Abbott and the Secretary of State for the maps.
After Texas began discussing redistricting, California Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a special election to take place in November for residents to vote on a redrawn congressional map designed to help Democrats win five more House seats next year.
The California ballot measure passed, but the Trump Administration is suing the state to stop the efforts.
In his X post, Braun said Indiana legislators should vote on new Congressional maps “to counter the gerrymandering in California and Illinois.” Gerrymandering is when the majority political party draws voting maps to favor their party.
Trump has pushed other Republican-controlled states to also revise their maps to add more winnable Republican seats. Ohio Republicans have also started the process of partisan redistricting.
Vice President JD Vance traveled to Indianapolis in early August to talk to Republican leadership about redistricting. More than 55 Republican state legislators went to the White House Aug. 27 to talk about redistricting, and then Vance came back to Indianapolis Oct. 10 to discuss redistricting.
During the White House visit, Politico reported Trump met privately with Bray and House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers.
It is unusual for redistricting to take place in the middle of the decade and typically occurs once at the beginning of each decade to coincide with the census.
Indiana was last redistricted in 2021, which left Congressional Republicans with seven seats and Democrats two seats. The two Democratic seats are the First District, held by U.S. Rep Frank Mrvan, and the Seventh District, held by U.S. Rep. André Carson.
Braun originally called for a special legislative session to “consider altering the boundaries of Indiana’s congressional districts” and federal and state tax compliance beginning Nov. 3.
