All Eyes On Indiana
Republican members of Indiana’s state Senate are expected to take a vote as soon as tomorrow that could mark the conclusion of a months-long drive by the Trump administration, and many of Trump’s closest allies, to force state legislators to draw Democrats out of representation for Indiana in the U.S. House.
Trump and his friends have pulled out all of the stops to compel Indiana Senate Republicans to drop their principles and help Trump rig the midterms. Trump’s repeatedly vowed to back primary challengers against any state GOP lawmakers who don’t comply with his redistricting demands. He has maintained such relentless pressure on the state that its own Republican governor, Mike Braun, turned on his own and promised to back primary challengers against the one dozen-plus Republican members of the state Senate who oppose the gerrymandering-for-Trump campaign.
As my colleague Khaya Himmelman has been reporting, the state House approved the maps that redraw lines around congressional districts currently held by Democrats in the U.S. House with the intention of flipping the seats for Republican candidates in the midterms. The state Senate is expected to take a vote on the new maps tomorrow, but it remains unclear if they have the support they need to send them to Braun’s desk for a signature.
Just in case his ongoing bullying and harassment of Indiana Republicans wasn’t enough — some Republicans who have been public about their disinterest in helping Trump change the makeup of the U.S. House have been the victims of swatting attempts and bomb threats in recent weeks — Trump piled on again over the weekend.
“Why would a REAL Republican vote against this when the Dems have been doing it for years??? If they stupidly say no, vote them out of Office – They are not worthy – And I will be there to help! Thank you Indiana!” Trump posted on Truth Social Saturday.
Some Democratic-led states have been keeping an eye on how Indiana votes this week in order to determine their next moves in attempting to soften the blow of Trump’s early — and ongoing — wins in his nationwide gerrymandering war. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has said that Illinois Democrats are “ready to stand up” and pass redrawn maps to offset the impact of Indiana’s gerrymander, if it comes to it.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) affirmed that Maryland Dems should do the same if Trump has his way in Indiana tomorrow. Here’s an excerpt of what he said during an interview with Greg Sargent on The New Republic’s “The Daily Blast” today:
In fact, we’re in a bit of a tangle in Maryland because the Senate president, Bill Ferguson, has said for various reasons that he’s opposed to redistricting to add one seat that would be more competitive for Democrats. One of the reasons he invoked for it was that he said he had spoken to the Republican president of the Indiana Senate, who said he was going to stay out. Well, if he doesn’t stay out, that is going to redouble everybody’s determination to change Bill Ferguson’s mind. I mean, there’s nothing remotely ethical or moral about unilaterally disarming before authoritarians in a game that they’ve created. I mean, they want to essentially declare Congress Republican before a single vote is cast. …
Every seat counts. I mean, we’re down three seats right now. I mean, this is, you know, we’re like in the trenches in World War One and we’re fighting for every district. Nobody’s got the luxury of saying, Well, we’re above this
After California’s Prop 50 passed in November — an initiative designed to help offset the impact of Texas’ egregious gerrymander (which the Supreme Court upheld just last week) — some state-level Dems backed off the crusade to counter Trump, at least while it appeared as though Indiana Senate Republican leadership didn’t have the votes. The vote in Indiana tomorrow may trigger more fire from Democratic officials.
‘We Write With Grave Concern’
Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday asking them to provide the committee with internal documents related to the DOJ’s reported inquiry into six Democratic members of Congress who have been targeted by Trump administration officials after they appeared in a video reminding service members that they can refuse illegal orders and of their oath to the Constitution.
“We write with grave concern that the Trump Administration is weaponizing the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) against federal lawmakers who merely restated current law,” the Dems wrote, opening the letter. “This abuse of federal law enforcement authority as an instrument of retribution against the President’s political opponents is a threat to the constitutional freedoms of all Americans.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is supposedly looking for a way to bring Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) back into active duty so he can be punished by court martial. The DOJ and FBI are reportedly investigating Kelly and the other lawmakers who appeared in the video, all of whom are either veterans or former CIA officials. Their apparent offense was that they reminded service members of the “law of the land,” the Dems wrote.
“Nothing these Members of Congress said in this video is unlawful — they were simply restating existing law,” they said.
Tourists’ Social Media Will Now, Apparently, Be Monitored
The Trump administration is proposing to ask visitors from several dozen nations that enjoy visa-free travel to the U.S. to submit additional personal information before entering the country, including five years of their social media history, the Department of Homeland Security said in a notice this week.
In Case You Missed It
Reminder, it’s Golden Dukes season 🙂 Make Sure You Vote for Your Favorite Freak
New from Khaya Himmelman: Trump Admin Taps Another 2020 Conspiracy Theorist for Leadership Role, This Time At FEMA
Josh Marshall: Democratic Voters and the Corrupt Republican Six
Morning Memo: The Grim Fate of the Sole Survivor of a Lawless U.S. Boat Strike
The latest in LA: Judge Blocks Federalization of California National Guard, Saying It’s Become ‘National Police Force’
Yesterday’s Most Read Story
SHOWTIME: Boasberg Summons Key DOJ Witnesses in Contempt Inquiry
What We Are Reading
Doughnuts and Bullets: The Absurdity of Working for RFK Jr.
Lauren Boebert Torched for Using Campaign Funds to See Rumored Rockstar Lover
DHS inks contract to create its own fleet of Boeing 737s for deportations
If Indiana was smart they would take a step back and read the room, following Trump’s wishes is no longer a smart move.
Crossing international borders, it is best to take a clean phone (minimum) and/or laptop. If they demand your social media accounts, tell them you do not use social media. If they ask for email, give them a clean one.
Not just Indiana ! Trump is totally off the rails now and it’s there for all to see. He’s already down to that 37% cult MAGA base and anyone hoping to stay in office should be able to see that
Wouldn’t it be funny if Indiana, Texas and any other red state changes their maps and the democrats still get in office.
Besides - are there enough republicans anymore to fill those slots?
In other news: from AP:
Question: What is the US Coast Guard doing near the Venezuela coastal waters? Isn’t that way too far away from our coastal waters?