An Indiana Republican lawmaker whose child has Down syndrome has pledged to oppose efforts to redrawn the state’s congressional map in his party’s favor after Donald Trump lashed out at a political opponent with a slur against the intellectually disabled.
Indiana state Senate member Michael Bohasek wrote on Facebook Friday that he has been “an unabashed advocate for people with intellectual disabilities” since one of his daughters was born with Down’s. Referring to how the president had used an ableist slur to insult Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz a day earlier, Bohasek’s post said, “His choice of words will have consequences.”
“I would vote ‘no’ on redistricting, perhaps he can use the next 10 months to convince voters that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority.”
Bohasek’s opposition to Trump comes after Trump’s administration pressured Republican lawmakers in Indiana to redraw the boundaries of their congressional districts. The goal is for Republicans to gain more US House seats as their party tries to retain control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.
Indiana lawmakers are scheduled to consider such a partisan redistricting measure in late December. But state Senate leaders have cautioned that there is not enough support in the legislative chamber to enact Congress’s redistricting plan.
In mid-November Trump called for primary election challenges to any Republican state senator in Indiana who “votes against this significant redistricting, which could potentially have a chilling effect on America itself”.
“They must… do their job, and do it now!” Social posts told Trump’s truth. “If not, let’s get them out of office.”
Since Trump’s post, at least nine Republican officials in the state have experienced blatant attacks, including making fake emergency calls to homes in hopes of eliciting a heavily armed law enforcement response, according to NBC News. State Senator Gene Leasing, a Republican, said she was the target of a pipe bomb threat on Saturday. “This is the result of DC political pundits calling for redistricting,” she wrote on X alongside a photo of herself, adding that she would not bow down in protest of redistricting.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun, who supports redistricting, said he also has received threats. “Enough,” he wrote on X. “These threats to MPs, including the threats I and my family have received in recent days, need to stop.”
Bohasek vowed to defy Trump’s wishes after the president posted a separate Truth. In that one, written after two National Guard members were shot in Washington, D.C., Trump said he would “permanently halt” all immigration from “third world countries,” insulting Walz as “seriously retarded,” referring to Minnesota’s Somali community.
Many Facebook users responding to Bohasek’s post thanked him for taking a stand against Trump, though some regretted that he had to hit so close to home to oppose the president.
A typical answer reads, “You should care about people, even if it has no impact on you and your family.” “I’m glad you at least understand it now. And thank you for your current stance.”
Bohasek has served in the Indiana Senate since November 2016, when Trump won his first presidential term.
Indiana is one of several states where America’s two major political parties are grappling with whether to initiate partisan redistricting.
Meanwhile, in August, Texas approved new congressional maps intended to help Republicans add five seats in the 2026 midterms. California responded by passing a redistricting measure in November intended to allow Democrats to gain the same number of seats.
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