JD Vance’s Name Met With Loud Boos in Indiana

The announcement of Vice President JD Vance‘s presence in the Indiana Statehouse was met with loud boos, according to a video posted on social media.

Newsweek has contacted the vice president’s office and protest organizers for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Vance visited Indiana as President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on Republican-led states to redraw congressional boundaries in a bid to maximize the GOP’s advantages in coming elections.

Republicans are reportedly discussing ways to create new red seats in Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and Florida, which fueled calls for Democratic-run states to counter by redrawing their own maps.

Texas has been at the center of Trump’s effort to gerrymander congressional maps, with the FBI now working to locate Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to deny the Republican majority the quorum necessary to vote on the redistricting plan.

What To Know

Vance met privately with Indiana Governor Mike Braun and others at the Indiana Capitol on Thursday.

More than 100 people gathered inside the Statehouse in a protest organized by the nonprofit MADVoters Indiana, according to the Indy Star.

Video posted on X by Fox59 reporter Max Lewis showed protesters booing for more than a minute straight after learning of Vance’s arrival.

Vance was also booed and heckled by protesters as his motorcade left a Michelin-starred restaurant in California last month, with some calling him out for dining there while flash floods were hitting Texas. He was also heckled days later when he visited Disneyland with his family.

The vice president was also met with boos as he took his seat at a National Symphony Orchestra concert at the Kennedy Center in March.

What People Are Saying

Asked by reporters if any agreement about redistricting had been reached during the meeting with Vance, Braun only said: “We listened.”

He wrote on X: “It was great to meet with @VP Vance today. We discussed a number of issues, and I was pleased to highlight some of the great things happening in Indiana.”

Indiana’s Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith wrote on X: “A big THANK YOU to Vice President @JDVance for visiting the Hoosier State today and standing shoulder to shoulder with Indiana lawmakers! Your bold leadership and unwavering support for President Trump’s mission to expand the conservative majority in Congress is exactly what America needs right now.

“Redistricting isn’t just politics—it’s about ensuring the voice of We the People is heard loud and clear. Indiana is proud to play a key role in shaping a stronger, freer future for our nation and as Lt Governor I fully support this effort!”

MADVoters Indiana wrote on Facebook: “Thank you, Hoosiers, for standing in solidarity against a costly and corrupt gerrymandering scheme. The fight is just getting started.”

Indiana State Representative Matt Pierce, a Democrat, said in a video posted on social media this week: “I’m sounding the alarm because Democrats in Indiana are in a knife fight to preserve democracy, and we better start acting like it. JD Vance is being sent to Indiana on Thursday by Donald Trump to get Governor Braun to call a special session in order to do Texas-style gerrymandering.”

What’s Next

Braun would have to call a special session to start the redistricting process, but lawmakers have sole power to draw new maps.

Republicans already hold seven of Indiana’s nine U.S. House seats, but they could gain one more by targeting the competitive 1st Congressional District held Democratic U.S. Representative Frank Mrvan.