Podcast Summary: Bulwark Takes – “BREAKING: GOP-Controlled Indiana REJECTS Trump's New Map (w/ Adam Wren)”

Date: December 12, 2025
Host: Sonny Bunch (Bulwark Managing Editor)
Guest: Adam Wren (Politico, reporting from the Indiana Statehouse)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the dramatic breaking news from Indiana, where the Republican-controlled State Senate rejected President Trump’s aggressive attempt at redistricting the state to favor Republican gains in Congress. Host Sonny Bunch and guest Adam Wren break down the high-pressure tactics used by the Trump White House, the remarkable resistance from Indiana Republicans, and explore the broader implications for GOP unity, federal-state relations, and the redistricting battles nationwide.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Scene at the Indiana Statehouse

• Senate Vote: The Indiana State Senate struck down Trump’s proposed map by a commanding margin—31 votes to 19.
  “President Donald Trump was calling individual senators here in the state and trying to get them to flip… This is a significant rebuke of President Donald Trump, of J.D. Vance, of Speaker Mike Johnson.” — Adam Wren [02:23]

• Pressure Campaign: Trump, VP J.D. Vance, and Speaker Mike Johnson intensely lobbied for the map that would have gained them two extra congressional seats ahead of the crucial 2026 elections.

2. The Tactics: From Persuasion to Intimidation

• Bullying Not Persuasion: Instead of offering carrots, the Trump team relied on intimidation: “There was no persuasion or carrots. It seemed like it was all sticks.” — Sonny Bunch [03:31]

• Direct Threats:

  • Senators received "unsolicited orders from Domino's Pizza"—a MAGA-coded intimidation tactic.
  • Reports of “pipe bomb threats” against GOP state senators. “Many of them were fearing for their lives… they felt it was important for them to weigh into this and, by ignoring those threats, to not make a decision under duress.” — Adam Wren [03:47]

3. Financial Leverage and Federal Funding Threats

• Heritage Action Tweet: Explicit threats to withhold federal funds from Indiana surfaced. “For weeks… there have been quietly veiled threats that Indiana’s federal funding, Medicaid expansion, vouchers… was going to get denied, that highway funding was at risk.” — Adam Wren [06:12]

• Unprecedented Presidential Pressure: Both host and guest underline just how rare and shocking it is for a sitting president to threaten party state lawmakers this way: “Again, I’ve never seen a president threaten his own party like that before.” — Unidentified Guest [05:42]

4. Why Did Indiana Republicans Say No?

• Ideological and Practical Motivations:
  • Concerns about local consequences—splitting up Democratic strongholds could backfire and actually hand Democrats a seat.
  • Deep resistance to federal encroachment on state affairs, rooted in “small-c” conservatism.
  • Bizarrely aggressive efforts backfired. “It was all sticks and no carrots. And I think it failed just as a pure lobbying exercise.” — Adam Wren [07:27]

5. The Fallout: A Blow to Trump’s Political Capital

• Lame Duck Vibes?

  • Adam Wren reports the mood: “described a feeling of letting of the air going out of the balloon here, of the White House and Trump losing all their juice.” [09:33]
  • The scope of the defeat will cause other GOP officials, both nationally and statewide, to reconsider the effectiveness of Trump’s pressure campaigns.

• Potential for Retribution:

  • Outside groups like Turning Point plan to spend “eight figures” to primary the Republican senators who voted no.
  • Vice President J.D. Vance is likely to spearhead efforts to punish the Indiana holdouts.

6. Historical and Cultural Reflections

• Questions arise about the unique culture of Indiana Republicanism, rooted in politicians like Mike Pence and Mitch Daniels, possibly making it more resistant to Trump’s tactics. “Maybe there is something in the Republican DNA there that’s different.” — Sonny Bunch [13:16]

• Extraordinary Precedent: “I couldn’t imagine the George W. Bush administration going to Indiana and being like, gerrymander your state so we get an extra seat so I don’t lose the House and get impeached.” — Unidentified Guest [13:48]

7. What Happens Next?

• Trump’s Next Moves: Panelists speculate that Trump will either “lose his mind” or “lose interest” and move on to other feuds, leaving retribution to the likes of J.D. Vance.
• There’s worry about state senator retirements as a result of this ordeal, a sign of the deep impact of the intimidation campaign.
• Implications for Dems: Could Illinois Democrats signal restraint in solidarity? The panel is skeptical about true reciprocity, but recognize the potential as a positive example.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Threats to Lawmakers:
  “They spoke of receiving unsolicited orders from Domino’s Pizza, which is a way that MAGA kind of signals to opponents that they know where you live. They spoke about, you know, pipe bomb threats. Many of them were fearing for their lives.”
  — Adam Wren [03:47]

• On National GOP Pressure:
  “Charlie Kirk, before he was murdered, essentially said that he would spend much of Turning Point’s political capital on primarying these Republican senators… They've said eight figures they will spend against Senate Republicans who voted against us today.”
  — Adam Wren [05:11]
  (Note: Reference to “before he was murdered” appears to be a factual or contextual anomaly in the transcript.)

• On the Unprecedented Nature of the Tactics:
  “I’ve never seen a president threaten his own party like that before.”
  — Unidentified Guest [05:42]

• On Indiana’s Unique Political Culture:
  “That is Mike Pence’s state. That’s Mitch Daniels state. Maybe there is something in the Republican DNA there that’s different.”
  — Sonny Bunch [13:16]

• On What’s Next Nationally:
  “Even if they are kind of the rare case, other Republicans… are going to look at this intense lobbying campaign… and they’re going to have a lot more reason to say no in the coming weeks and months.”
  — Adam Wren [10:35]

• On the Future of Redistricting Fights:
  “Wouldn’t that be great? Oh my God. It would be bad for content, but great for the country.”
  — Sonny Bunch [17:38]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:50] — Breaking news introduction and guest Adam Wren sets the scene
• [02:23] — Recap of the Senate debate and Trump’s last-minute lobbying
• [03:31] — Discussing the intimidation and threats faced by senators
• [05:42] — Analysis of Heritage Action’s federal funding threat
• [07:27] — Deep dive: Why Indiana Republicans rebelled
• [09:33] — The sense of waning Trump influence after recent election cycles
• [13:16] — Reflection on Indiana’s unique GOP DNA
• [14:31] — Speculation on Trump’s likely response and future retribution efforts
• [16:03] — Anticipation of state senator retirements post-vote
• [16:28] — Strategic considerations for Democrats in redistricting

Tone & Takeaways

The episode is urgent and reflective, balancing breaking-news adrenaline with deeper analysis of party dynamics and the resilience of some institutional norms. The hosts’ and guests’ tone is both incredulous and concerned about unprecedented intimidation tactics, but also notes the surprising principle shown by a group of Indiana state lawmakers.

By the end, listeners are left with a sense of the real stakes in internal GOP battles—and with lingering questions about how far party leaders and activists will go to enforce conformity in the face of local pushback. The episode captures a pivotal moment in modern party politics as much as it chronicles a single high drama vote in the Indiana Senate.