Katty Kay

The link's in the episode description.

Welcome back to The Rest is Politics.

US, we're going to talk about the midterms.

Yes, they're not until November, but there was a very big test of Donald Trump's power over the Republican Party that is taking place right now.

We had elections.

Tuesdays are always Election Day in America.

Tuesday, we had elections in Indiana.

And Trump had backed a bunch of primary challenges against seven Republican state senators

who had rejected his calls for them to redistrict

indiana in the run-up to the midterm election so there's this big redistricting campaign going on around the country texas said to donald trump yep mr trump will do it florida said to mr trump yep mr trump will do it your little dog imitation that you do there that sounded more like a duck actually it's more like there you go it's so revolting but indiana comes back like a lion

We are not doing your bidding, Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump doesn't like that.

And so he weighs into the state Senate so he can try and change the legislature to be more Trumpy.

And he has a cracking night in Indiana and proves once again that Donald Trump controls the Republican Party, or at least he controls Trump.

the Republican Party primary voters in a very red state like Indiana because of those seven state senators who he tried to oust, five of them have been ousted, five of Donald Trump's candidates won.

A whole load of cash went into the state, $14 million.

I mean, I've never heard so much discussion, Anthony, of a state Senate primary race in American politics, but it was a test of Donald Trump's pulling power

in the Republican Party.

And the message to Republicans is only defy Donald Trump when you can keep your political career, if you want to have a long life in politics.

Because if you want a long life in politics and you defy Donald Trump right now, you are going to be voted out in a primary.