CNN’s Bash Accidentally Admits Virginia Democrats 'Gerrymandered' the State

She hastily rephrased her comment as actions by voters. Bash’s Freudian slip occurred near the end of her interview with Republican Indiana State Senator Rodric Bray. She was recapping other recent election and redistricting news items when the truth slipped out, before she caught herself: A lot has changed in the redistricting battles since December. Since you all made that decision, in Virginia, Democrats voted to gerrymander their state - or voters approved a Democratic plan to counter GOP gains across the country. The Supreme Court ruled that efforts to eliminate some majority minority districts is okay in a handful of states. If you had a do over on Indiana's redistricting vote, would you do it the same way? But before Bray could finish his thoughts, Bash interrupted him to ask if he had any regrets, and in her rapid sign off, got his name wrong twice: BRAY: You know, Indiana's going to do the way do things the way Indiana needs to do them. We're not going to base that decision on other states, including something like - BASH: So no regrets? BRAY: So no, no regrets. BASH: Okay. State Senator Roderic bay, the president pro tem there in Indiana. Thank you so much for being here, Robert Bray. I should say, Roderic Bray. CNN's Dana Bash accidentally admits, in Virginia, Democrats voted to gerrymander their state before catching herself and rephrasing it as voters approved a Democratic plan to counter GOP gains across the country. pic.twitter.com/jCGHJrs4aJ— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) May 4, 2026 Throughout most of segment, Bash’s questions were meant to pick at the still-open wound that was the party infighting that would be settled by Tuesday’s primary election. “So you've obviously been in it. You're working very hard to help your fellow incumbents,” she prefaced her first set of questions. “Who do you think voters are going to end up deciding to go with? The incumbents who defied the President on redistricting or the GOP challengers the President is backing to take them out?” Bash followed up with repeated questions with how the infighting was because of Trump: And I just want to make it crystal clear to our viewers. We're talking about money, not from Democrats and not only from Republicans, but Republicans who are supporting the wishes of President Trump, who are trying to take - who is trying to take out your fellow Republican colleagues. () You say in Washington, D.C., just to put a finer point on it, it's obviously coming from the President himself, and it's been personal towards you. He said he would work tirelessly to, quote, “take you out.” He called you a total RINO who betrayed the Republican Party and that he's coming for you “like no one has ever come after you before.” The CNN host even tried to egg on Bray to attack Trump: BASH: I understand you're saying it is what it is, and the voters are going to go to the polls tomorrow. But do you have a message for the President who is making this race and this series of races so tough for your incumbent Republicans, as you say, from the outside, not from the inside? BRAY: No, I don't I don't have a message for the President. I've had a number of conversations with him about this issue, and he expressed to all of us that it was important. And he's the president of the United States. So, if it's important to him, it's important to us. “The bottom line is we decided that as a as a caucus, we were fairly evenly split. But we decided ultimately that it wasn't the right thing and it wasn't the right way for Indiana to move forward,” he said. The transcript is below. Click expand to read: CNN’s Inside Politics May 4, 2026 12:31:18 p.m. Eastern () DANA BASH: Okay. So you've obviously been in it. You're working very hard to help your fellow incumbents. Who do you think voters are going to end up deciding to go with? The incumbents who defied the President on redistricting or the GOP challengers the President is backing to take them out? () 12:32:12 p.m. Eastern BASH: And I just want to make it crystal clear to our viewers. We're talking about money, not from Democrats and not only from Republicans, but Republicans who are supporting the wishes of President Trump, who are trying to take - who is trying to take out your fellow Republican colleagues. RODRIC BRAY (R-IN, Indiana State Senate): Well, that's correct. And, you know, primaries are tough. There's always a family fight. Any year. And so, they're always challenging. This one is one of a different flavor though, because typically you see a primary opponent come from inside the district, somebody who just wants the state to run a bit differently. Maybe there is some issues or that were either voted for or against during the senator's last term that - but they're homegrown issues. That's not what this is. This is really driven from outside the state of Indiana, mostly in Washington, D.C. and the money is coming from outside of Indiana as well. BASH: You say in Washington, D.C., just to put a finer point on it, it's obviously coming from the President himself, and it's been personal towards you. He said he would work tirelessly to, quote, “take you out.” He called you a total RINO who betrayed the Republican Party and that he's coming for you “like no one has ever come after you before.” As I said, you're not on the ballot, but the President and his team want the Republicans who are running to promise not to reelect you as president pro tem. Is he going to be successful? () 12:34: 24 a.m. Eastern BASH: I understand you're saying it is what it is, and the voters are going to go to the polls tomorrow. But do you have a message for the President who is making this race and this series of races so tough for your incumbent Republicans, as you say, from the outside, not from the inside? BRAY: No, I don't I don't have a message for the President. I've had a number of conversations with him about this issue, and he expressed to all of us that it was important. And he's the president of the United States. So if it's important to him, it's important to us. The bottom line is we decided that as a as a caucus, we were fairly evenly split. But we decided ultimately that it wasn't the right thing and it wasn't the right way for Indiana to move forward. () 12:35:20 p.m. Eastern BASH: A lot has changed in the redistricting battles since December. Since you all made that decision in Virginia, Democrats voted to gerrymander their state - or voters approved a Democratic plan to counter GOP gains across the country. The Supreme Court ruled that efforts to eliminate some majority minority districts is okay in a handful of states. If you had a do over on Indiana's redistricting vote, would you do it the same way? BRAY: You know, Indiana's going to do the way do things the way Indiana needs to do them. We're not going to base that decision on other states, including something like - BASH: So no regrets? BRAY: So no, no regrets. BASH: Okay. State Senator Roderick bay, the president pro tem there in Indiana. Thank you so much for being here. Robert bray, I should say, Roderick Bray. You are going to have a very big day tomorrow and maybe you'll come back no matter what the results are. BRAY: I’d love to. Yeah, I hope so. Thank you. Nice being with you. BASH: Okay. You too. Nicholas Fondacaro Mon, 05/04/2026 - 16:46 Marketing Timing Regular Search Engine Title CNN’s Bash Accidentally Admits Virginia Democrats 'Gerrymandered' the State CNS Commentary Off