In today’s Republican Party, opposing President Donald Trump is the political equivalent of a death wish — a near-guaranteed descent to irrelevance and diminished influence.
Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) has avoided that fate — for now.
Young declared, in no uncertain terms, last year that he wouldn’t be voting for Trump. But Trump won convincingly in November, carrying Republicans to victory up and down the ballot.
So Young has adapted by altering his posture toward Trump and making clear that he’s a “team player” for Republicans — and he certainly has been. Young also sees a chance to pad his extensive legislative record. But it’s a delicate balance, as the Indiana Republican isn’t backing away from his past criticism of Trump.
That means establishing a working relationship with Trump (they’ve spoken several times since November) and voting for his nominees even after having expressed skepticism.
“I’ve demonstrated that I can be an independent voice and an independent vote, but I’ve also demonstrated… that I’m an excellent team player,” Young told us during a 20-minute interview in his Senate hideaway.
“My posture is one of supporting this president in his efforts to revitalize the economy, secure the border, control inflation… and in the end make him the most successful president in modern history,” Young added. “I will do well more than my part in furtherance of that objective.”
The shift is also essential for political survival. The 52-year-old Young isn’t up for reelection until 2028, but he wants to retain his influence as a conservative who can work across the aisle to pass landmark legislation like the CHIPS Act.
An unlikely partner: Young said he’s had nearly a dozen direct interactions with Trump since November. In each conversation, in-person and over the phone, Young said Trump has focused on the future and spent “very little” time on Young’s past criticisms. Trump incorporates humor to make conversations more “comfortable,” Young said.
In fact, Young said he and Trump will soon announce a “legislative initiative” together. Young declined to divulge details, but he suggested it makes no sense for him to publicly undermine Trump in this moment.
“In the event that I have a question about something the president’s done, I think we owe him a measure of discretion,” Young said. “And then we owe him and his team private counsel before we opine publicly in this era of social media.”
Young credited Vice President JD Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles with fostering more collaboration with Hill Republicans than before and during the first Trump administration. That included Vance’s role in trying to persuade Young to back Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence.
“They have accommodated some different views and some concerns that might have interrupted their agenda had they not accommodated them,” Young said. “They did not ask me to back away from my concerns, which was important to me.”
The journey: It was a risky gamble for Young, who soured on Trump after the 2020 election and, like many other Republicans, hoped that Trump’s political career was over. Young, however, didn’t vote to convict Trump in his Jan. 6 impeachment trial.
As NRSC chair during the 2020 cycle, Young had a front-row seat to what many Senate Republicans believed was a Trump-fueled debacle that handed Democrats control of the chamber. At the time, Trump was falsely claiming the 2020 election was rigged and brought that message to run-off Senate races in Georgia. Republicans lost both seats and their majority.
Young chose not to fall in line when Trump became the presumptive 2024 nominee.
But even when he was criticizing Trump, Young didn’t rush to the cameras. When Young did offer criticism, he was often simply vocalizing concerns that other Republicans would only gripe about in private.
