Indiana state Senator Mike Bohacek, a Republican representing the Michiana region, announced Friday that he will vote against President Donald Trump–backed redistricting efforts in his state after taking personal offense to language the president used to attack Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Bohacek’s daughter has Down syndrome, and he said Trump’s use of the word “retarded” crossed a line he could not ignore.
Trump used the slur in a late-night post criticizing Walz as part of a broader immigration-focused message. The remark sparked fierce reaction nationwide, including from Bohacek, who said the president’s comments were unacceptable. Taking to Facebook, he wrote that “words have consequences,” and declared he would oppose redistricting efforts “until [Trump] can show me that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority.”
His break with Trump comes at a sensitive time for Indiana Republicans. The state is weighing whether to overhaul its congressional map just four years after completing the standard once-per-decade redistricting process. Trump has been pushing GOP-led states to redo their maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections in an effort to secure a more dependable House majority. His advisers have warned that without aggressive redistricting now, Republicans could lose control of the chamber.
According to Politico, the pressure on Indiana has escalated in recent days. House Speaker Mike Johnson is scheduled to hold a Saturday conference call with Indiana House Republicans, despite publicly insisting that he plays no role in state-level redistricting decisions. Behind the scenes, Johnson has already spoken with Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, whose caucus remains divided on whether to move forward with redrawing the map.
Even with national leaders applying pressure, the Indiana Senate appears short of the necessary votes, multiple Republicans familiar with the ongoing vote count told Politico. Bohacek’s announcement adds another obstacle for Trump’s push, especially given that opposition is emerging not from Democrats or moderates, but from a Republican who has consistently supported conservative policies but says the president’s rhetoric went too far.
Bohacek framed his opposition not as a policy dispute, but as a matter of personal principle. While he has supported much of Trump’s agenda in the past, he made clear that advocating for families like his—and standing against language he finds demeaning to people with disabilities—outweighs political alignment. His stance underscores a recurring tension within the Republican Party: balancing loyalty to Trump with concerns from lawmakers who say some rhetoric undermines the party’s broader goals.
Trump, meanwhile, has not backed away from his statement about Walz, and continues to urge redistricting changes across GOP states as part of a national strategy to secure the House. But the resistance from Bohacek and other Indiana Republicans highlights the difficulty national conservatives face when state lawmakers see political risk—or moral lines they say cannot be crossed.
The redistricting fight in Indiana continues to unfold, but the Trump-backed plan appears increasingly uncertain as divisions grow inside the Republican caucus.
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