TPUSA Sets Sights On John Thune After Major Win In Indiana

Turning Point USA Action is preparing to primary Senate Majority Leader and South Dakota Sen. John Thune after notching a major win in Indiana.

After several Republican Indiana state senators voted against President Donald Trump’s plan to redistrict the state, big grassroots organizations like TPUSA Action and Club for Growth pledged to primary the politicians. On Tuesday, at least five of the seven Republican Indiana state senators targeted were defeated. Now, TPUSA Action tells the Daily Caller that their work isn’t done. If other states don’t redistrict or if Republicans like Thune don’t pass the SAVE America Act, they are prepared to turn their attention to those states and politicians.

“[A lot of Republicans] will lose their jobs if they don’t get on board, they don’t listen to their voters, if they don’t do the right thing and fight the manipulation of the Democrats,” Tyler Bowyer, the Chief Operating Officer of TPUSA Action, told the Caller.

“Other states that decide not to do this, particularly in the south after the Supreme Court ruling, should be on watch. Guys like Thune should be on watch, that aren’t getting the will of the people done with the SAVE America Act.”

“Those are the two biggest targets here on who might be next,” he finished.

The SAVE America Act has stalled in the Senate as Republicans debate the legislation. It would require voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship and ID, while states would be mandated to clean up their voter rolls. Additionally, the legislation would restrict the approved reasons for mail-in ballots.

The president told the Caller on Tuesday that he was disappointed in Thune because he had yet to end the filibuster. Trump added that he was upset with other Republicans and expressed frustration over the SAVE America Act not being passed.

“I’m disappointed,” Trump told the Caller. “I like John a lot, but he has a couple of Republicans that are foolish people. A couple of them I like, a couple of them I can’t stand, actually, if you want to know the truth.”

“We should have the SAVE America Act. We should have voter identification, voter ID. We should have proof of citizenship. We should have mail-in-voting for the military and people that need it, but not for everybody because any time you have mail-in-voting, they’re going to cheat,” he added. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Trump To Crack Down On Mail-In Voting With New Executive Order)

The effort to primary the Indiana Republicans began the day after they voted against Trump’s redistricting plan in December.

“I would expect Team Trump to make examples of every single member of the State Senate who opposed them on this. They are not messing around and these were not empty threats. Metaphorically speaking, it won’t be long until all their heads are sitting on pikes,” a source close to the White House told the Caller at the time.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive for a Military Mother’s Day Event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 6, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

TPUSA Action deployed “dozens and dozens” of its staff on the ground in Indiana to run the primary effort. The organization worked with Scott Presler, a popular conservative influencer known for chasing ballots, to barnstorm the state and get Republican voters out to the polls. Politico reported that the White House and its allies spent almost $10 million on the effort.

“We hired right away. We were one of the only organizations that put full time bodies on the ground immediately and some of these key target districts. And it worked out. This proves what happens when you organize and you make the public aware of things,” Bowyer told the Caller.