For the past few months, Trump has been pushing Republican states to redraw their congressional maps. He hopes this will give his party more seats in the 2026 midterm elections. Texas and Missouri already tried to change their districts, but judges are still fighting over those changes.
Indiana has not moved ahead. Many Republicans in the state do not fully support the plan. And after Trump’s new insult, support dropped even more.
During the Thanksgiving holiday, Trump posted angry messages online. In one post, he called Governor Walz “seriously r******d.” The slur is extremely offensive, especially to people with disabilities and their families.
This comment was too much for Indiana state senator Mike Bohacek. His daughter has Down Syndrome, and he said Trump’s words were deeply hurtful. He explained that he has spent many years defending people with intellectual disabilities and could not stay silent.
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Bohacek then announced he will vote against Trump’s redistricting push. “I will be voting NO on redistricting,” he said. He added that Trump should use the next months to “convince voters that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority.”
He also reminded the public that this kind of language from Trump is nothing new. He said, “This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences.”
Trump has mocked people with disabilities before. In 2015, he publicly made fun of journalist Serge Kovaleski at a rally. He has also used phrases like “low IQ” to insult political rivals and critics, showing a long pattern of disrespect.
The redistricting push also comes at a difficult time for Trump. Polls show he is becoming more unpopular. And historically, redistricting usually happens every 10 years after the Census, not whenever a president wants more power. But Trump is still demanding new maps, even though many experts say it is not appropriate.
Trump’s pressure has also caused reactions in other states. In California, voters strongly supported Proposition 50, a measure that could give the state more Democratic seats. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the measure was needed to fight back against Trump’s tactics. The vote was a major blow to Trump’s plan.
Soon after the measure passed, the Department of Justice sued California. The fight over district lines is now spreading across the country.
Featured image via X screengrab
