President Trump exacted retribution Tuesday on a group of Indiana Republican state legislators who blocked his push to redraw the state's congressional map.
- Trump's political operation targeted eight GOP state senators for defeat in their primaries.
- By late Tuesday, six of those legislators were defeated, one survived and one was locked in a race that was too close to call.
Why it matters: The outcome represented a major win for Trump's political team, which is aggressively going after Republicans who defy the president.
- Trump is also backing primary challengers to Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie and Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, both of whom face primaries this month.
Behind the scenes: Trump's team was deeply involved in the Indiana effort.
A pair of groups aligned with Indiana Sen. Jim Banks, named American Leadership PAC and Hoosier Leadership for America and overseen by longtime Trump operative Andy Surabian, spent $8 million to unseat the state senators.
Also involved in the Indiana campaign: White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, White House Political Director Matt Brasseaux, Trump campaign pollster and chief strategist Tony Fabrizio, and Trump 2024 data consultant Tim Saler.
- The Trump team began planning for the Indiana blitz in February, two months after the legislators voted down Trump's redistricting plan.
- Club for Growth, another pro-Trump group that closely coordinated with the other outfits, spent $2 million.
What they're saying: "I'm proud to have stood with Hoosiers and President Donald J. Trump," Banks tells Axios.
- "Tonight was a lesson to Republican lawmakers throughout the nation. There are consequences for not representing your voters," he added.
What's next: Trump's Indiana win puts pressure on Republican state legislators in other states to enact White House-backed redistricting measures.
- Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and South Carolina are all deliberating whether — or how aggressively — to redraw congressional maps following last week's Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act.
