Last night, anti-redistricting Republicans in Indiana got their clocks cleaned in the state Senate primary. In eight of the races, six Republicans who opposed redistricting got the boot. A seventh might be on the way out, too, but that race was too close to call last night.
Scott Jennings went on CNN to discuss that primary.
Trump cleaned up in Indiana State Senate primary tonight. @VanJones68 and I analyze & debate presidents getting involved in state level redistricting matters on @cnn pic.twitter.com/LutBmNpX4h
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) May 6, 2026
"He calls the shots in the Republican Party," Jennings said. "If you go against that, he will pour his wrath out upon you and it doesn't typically turn out well. As Harry Enten has said before, go against Trump in a primary, you wind up in the grinder."
"And that's what happened in Indiana. To me, what I was looking for tonight was the forward-looking lessons here. For instance, what's going to happen in Kentucky in a couple of weeks in that Fourth Congressional District where Thomas Massie is the one Congressional Republican who has been the biggest thorn in Donald Trump's side," Jennings continued. "They have poured millions into that race and a lot of people are wondering could he withstand a challenge from a Trump-backed challenger there. If you look at what happened in Indiana tonight, and you're Thomas Massie tonight, or you're anybody else in a primary where Trump's on the other side of you, you gotta be thinking this is a bad night for me. Bottom line is, there's always plenty of money in politics, and it's always the president's priorities and prerogatives."
Van Jones tried to criticize President Trump for getting involved in the primary races.
"What a petty little punching down bully, to wander over here and slap around a bunch of state senators to feel better about himself," Jones said. "I would be embarrassed if I were President of the United States."
Jennings asked Jones, rightly, if he objected to Obama weighing in on Virginia's dishonest, disenfranchising redistricting scheme. "Van, do you think those sorts of rules apply to, say, Barack Obama when he engages in the Virginia redistricting referendum?"
"Hey, listen, he didn't ... he got involved in a ballot measure, he didn't go poking and picking on little individual dog catchers," Jones said.
So Van thinks it’s okay for Obama to stick his nose in, but not Trump.
— Wilma Vanhooser (@wilma_vanhooser) May 6, 2026
Who are the Hypocrites?
Democrats of course. https://t.co/jm9AKFIIQZ
Of course.
It's also a sign that Indiana voters were very unhappy with the Republican state senators who refused to redistrict the state, while places like Virginia disenfranchised nearly half of the state's voters. It's clear the Republican base want politicians who are going to fight back against the Democrats, not ones who refuse to redistrict because it's "mean."
I’m from Indiana I totally appreciate @POTUS @realDonaldTrump getting involved. They forgot who they work for and went against the will of the voters.
— Angela Creek (@CreekAngel93372) May 6, 2026
Don't underestimate the role the failed redistricting vote played in the primaries.