Tamara Keith

Yeah, the GOP-controlled state Senate in Indiana rejected President Trump's efforts to get them to redraw the state's congressional district lines.

And Trump responded by saying the Republicans who voted no should be ashamed of themselves and should be primaried.

And then his political team got to work with outside groups recruiting challengers, spending millions of dollars to boost their campaigns.

He even met with the challengers at the White House.

Yeah, these are state Senate primaries, usually relatively sleepy affairs focused on local issues.

But according to data from Ad Impact, there's been nearly $7 million spent just on TV ads.

You can add millions more for mailers and other campaign efforts.

I went out door knocking with state Senator Jim Buck, and he told me this is unprecedented.

He told me that in past cycles, if he spent $150,000 on his race, that would be a lot of money.

This time he's had more than a million dumped on him, with ads calling him a Republican in name only, or RINO.

He's not a never-Trumper.

He campaigned for Trump in 2016, 2020, and 2024.

Well, I asked State Senator Spencer Deary that, and he said the fight over the congressional maps isn't what voters talk to him about.

And most of the ads aren't even talking about redistricting.

Still, this is a test for President Trump.

He is putting a lot of energy into trying to take out incumbent Republicans who have crossed him.

He's also very involved in the upcoming primaries for Senator Bill Cassidy in Louisiana, who voted for impeachment after January 6th, and Congressman Thomas Massey in Kentucky, who has been a general pain in Trump's side.

Marty Obst, a longtime Republican consultant in Indiana involved in this effort to oust the incumbents, told me that the president is the leader of the party and Republicans need to fall in line or there will be consequences.

And he feels good about their chance of success today.

A Trump political advisor not authorized to speak on the record said these incumbents are headed to their, quote, political slaughter.