Indiana Republican Breaks With Trump After Slur Targeting Disabled People

[Thiệu Ngô]

Indiana Republican with disabled child rejects redistricting bid after Trump-Walz spat

By Ryan Mancini

A Republican state Senator from Indiana on Friday said he will vote against President Trump’s redistricting effort in his state after the president used a slur demeaning people with disabilities in his online spat with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D).

“Many of you have asked my position on redistricting,” state Sen. Michael Bohacek (R) wrote in a Facebook post. “I have been an unapologetic advocate for people with intellectual disabilities since the birth of my second daughter. Those of you that don’t know me or my family might not know that my daughter has Down Syndrome.

“This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences,” Bohacek continued. “I will be voting NO on redistricting, perhaps he can use the next 10 months to convince voters that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority.”

Trump attacked Walz in a Truth Social post on Thursday and called him the slur. He slammed the governor for doing “nothing” about the number of Somali refugees in Minnesota, either “through fear, incompetence, or both.”

Walz clapped back at the president, demanding he “release the MRI results,” in reference to the MRI Trump underwent at Walter Reed Military Center last month. Trump has since said he has “no idea what they analyzed.”

Bohacek’s “no” vote comes after Trump last week threatened to unleash war on Indiana Republicans over any holdouts against redistricting. He and his allies warned that those Republicans would face primaries if they do not approve of a GOP-favored 9-0 map with the hope of picking up House seats in the 2026 midterm elections.

The dispute stems from a Truth Social post in which Trump attacked Walz and used the slur while criticizing refugee resettlement in Minnesota. Walz responded by urging Trump to release MRI results from a recent visit to Walter Reed. Trump later said he did not know what doctors had examined.

Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray (R) acknowledged growing tensions over the redistricting push, saying the issue has “caused strife” within the state GOP. Trump has praised House Republicans for advancing the plan and urged the Senate to secure remaining votes.

The final redistricting decision is expected next month as pressure intensifies ahead of the 2026 midterms.