The Daily Democratic Anger and Republican Revenge: Welcome to the Primaries
412 snips
May 5, 2026 
Reid J. Epstein, a New York Times political reporter, Shane Goldmacher, a national politics correspondent, and Lisa Lerer, a campaigns and voters reporter, map the wildest primary battles ahead. They spotlight Trump loyalty tests in Indiana and beyond. They track payback politics, Democratic revolt against party insiders, and Michigan as a showdown over the party’s future.
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Trump Turned Indiana Statehouse Races Into A Purge
- In Indiana, Trump is trying to unseat seven Republican state senators who refused his push to redraw maps and wipe out two Democratic seats.
- Shane Goldmacher says millions are flooding into races that normally cost about $150,000 to $200,000, including one challenger who quit, met Trump, then reentered.
Indiana Sends A Loyalty Warning Beyond Indiana
- Michael Barbaro argues Indiana matters nationally because Trump is warning future Republican lawmakers that resisting redistricting could end their careers.
- Lisa Lerer says the threat also tells House and Senate Republicans they will get almost no wiggle room to distance themselves before a tough midterm.
Thomas Massie Tests Whether Dissent Can Survive
- In Kentucky, Trump recruited former Navy SEAL Ed Galrine to challenge Representative Thomas Massie, one of the few Republicans openly mocking and defying him.
- Reid J. Epstein says Massie votes with Trump about 90 percent of the time, but Trump treats the remaining 10 percent as intolerable.