Jump to content

Mike Braun

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other people with similar names, see Michael Braun (disambiguation).

Mike Braun
Official portrait, 2019
Governor-elect of Indiana
Assuming office
January 13, 2025
LieutenantMicah Beckwith
SucceedingEric Holcomb
United States Senator
from Indiana
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2019
Serving with Todd Young
Preceded byJoe Donnelly
Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Preceded byTim Scott
Member of the Indiana House of Representatives
from the 63rd district
In office
November 5, 2014 – November 1, 2017
Preceded byMark Messmer
Succeeded byShane Lindauer
Personal details
Born
Michael Kent Braun

(1954-03-24) March 24, 1954 (age 70)
Jasper, Indiana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseMaureen Braun
Children4
RelativesSteve Braun (brother)
Residence(s)Jasper, Indiana, U.S.
EducationWabash College (BA)
Harvard University (MBA)
WebsiteSenate website
Campaign website
Mike Braun's voice
Mike Braun on the passing of Representative Jackie Walorski
Recorded August 6, 2022

Michael Kent Braun (born March 24, 1954) is an American businessman and politician who is the governor-elect of Indiana. A member of the Republican Party, he has served as the junior United States senator from Indiana since 2019 and previously represented the 63rd district in the Indiana House of Representatives from 2014 to 2017. Braun was elected to the United States Senate in 2018, defeating Democratic incumbent Joe Donnelly.[1] He was then elected governor in 2024, defeating Democratic nominee Jennifer McCormick and Libertarian nominee Donald Rainwater.

Braun opposes the Affordable Care Act, same-sex marriage, abortion, and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. He has called on the Republican Party to take climate change more seriously. He supported President Donald Trump's trade and tariff policies, although he was previously an advocate of free trade. Braun voted to acquit Trump in the impeachment trial related to the Trump-Ukraine scandal. After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and Trump refused to concede, making false claims of fraud, Braun defended Trump's efforts to overturn the election results.

Early life, education and business career

[edit]

Braun was born in Jasper, Indiana, on March 24, 1954.[2] He graduated from Jasper High School. He attended the all-male Wabash College, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in economics, and Harvard Business School, where he earned a Master of Business Administration.[3][4]

After graduating from Harvard, Braun moved back to Indiana and joined his father's business manufacturing truck bodies for farmers. The business subsequently grew from 15 employees to more than 300.[5] In 1986, Braun and Daryl Rauscher acquired Meyer Body Inc., a manufacturer of truck bodies and distributor of truck parts and equipment.[6] Braun fully acquired the company in 1995 and renamed it Meyer Distributing in 1999. Braun is its president and CEO.[7] In 2018, Braun's personal finance disclosure listed assets worth between $35 million and $96 million.[8]

Early political career

[edit]

Braun was formerly registered as a member of the Democratic Party, but switched to the Republican Party in 2012. He said that he has always considered himself a conservative Republican, but voted in Democratic primaries for years because his home county, Dubois County, historically voted heavily Democratic downballot. According to Braun, until a massive Republican wave in 2016, even Republican-leaning voters voted in the Democratic primary to have a say in local elections.[9] He was a member of the Jasper School Board from 2004 to 2014.[10][11]

In 2014, Braun was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives, in the 63rd district.[3] He resigned from the state House on November 1, 2017, to focus on his U.S. Senate campaign.[12]

In July 2018, Braun called for the Indiana attorney general, Republican Curtis Hill, to resign amid allegations that Hill had drunkenly groped a lawmaker and three legislative staffers.[13]

U.S. Senate

[edit]

2018 election

[edit]
Braun campaigning in Greenfield, Indiana
Main article: 2018 United States Senate election in Indiana

Braun won the Republican primary for the United States Senate in the 2018 election, defeating U.S. Representatives Todd Rokita and Luke Messer[14][15] by over 56,000 votes. He received 208,520 votes, or roughly 41% of the total.[1] Braun ran as an outsider, emphasizing his career in business.[16] He defeated Democratic incumbent Joe Donnelly in the November general election[17] with 51% of the vote to Donnelly's 45%; the Libertarian candidate, Lucy Brenton, tallied less than 4%.[18] In late 2019, the Indianapolis Star reported that Braun's 2018 campaign was the beneficiary of $2.8 million in spending by a political action committee with strong connections to indicted money launderer Lev Parnas and one of his shell companies.[19] Parnas supplied photographs of him and Braun embracing at a 2018 campaign event to the House of Representatives as part of his cooperation with the impeachment of President Trump. They were made public in January 2020.[19]

Tenure

[edit]

2019

[edit]

On January 3, 2019, Braun was sworn in as the junior United States senator from Indiana by Vice President Mike Pence.[20]

In May 2019, Braun was one of eight senators who voted against a $19.1 billion emergency aid package for states and territories that endured hurricanes, floods and fires. Braun said the disaster assistance process was "just another path for runaway spending on unrelated projects." Despite his opposition, the package was enacted with bipartisan support and President Trump's approval.[21]

Braun supported Trump's decision to withdraw American troops from northern Syria in October 2019.[22] As a result, in that month, Turkey launched a military offensive against the American-allied Kurds in that area. After that, Braun called Trump "smart"; questioned why the U.S. should "be in the crossfire" between Turkey and the Kurds; and called the idea that ISIS would recover strength as a result of the conflict "an assumption".[23]

In December 2019, Braun said that the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump had been a "disaster for Democrats."[24]

2020–2024

[edit]

In May 2020, Senator Chuck Schumer put forth a resolution to officially release the guidance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how to safely lift restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. A leaked version of the guidance showed that it was more detailed and restrictive than the White House recommendations released in April 2020. Braun blocked Schumer's resolution, saying that the CDC's recommendations would hinder the economy.[25]

On October 26, 2020, Braun voted to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court,[26] and praised Barrett.[27]

After Joe Biden defeated Trump in the November 2020 election, Braun refused to acknowledge Trump's defeat[28] and promoted Trump's false claims of election fraud.[29][30] Along with 10 other sitting and incoming Republican senators, Braun announced on January 2, 2021, that he would vote against counting the electoral votes from a number of states won by Biden four days later, seeking to subvert the election outcome.[29][30] He was participating in the joint session of Congress counting the electoral votes when a mob of Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol. In the wake of the attack, he tweeted, "Though I will continue to push for a thorough investigation into the election irregularities many Hoosiers are concerned with as my objection was intended, I have withdrawn that objection and will vote to get this ugly day behind us." He voted to count the electoral votes after Congress returned to session.[31] The South Bend Tribune called Braun's flip-flop "a case of too little, too late."[32] The Democratic Party of Indiana called for Braun's resignation, saying he "incited violence to overturn the presidential election and end American democracy."[33]

In 2022, it was reported that rather than seeking reelection to the Senate, Braun would run for governor of Indiana in 2024. Incumbent Republican governor Eric Holcomb was term-limited.[34][35]

Committee assignments

[edit]

For the 118th United States Congress, Braun was named to four Senate committees:[36]

Caucus membership

[edit]

2024 Indiana gubernatorial campaign

[edit]

On November 30, 2022, Braun filed papers with the Secretary of State of Indiana to run in the 2024 Indiana gubernatorial election, following speculation since September that he would run for the office.[35][34]

Braun, who was endorsed by Donald Trump, won the Republican primary on May 7, 2024.[38] On May 8, he announced his choice for lieutenant governor, state representative Julie McGuire. In June, delegates nominated Micah Beckwith for lieutenant governor at the Republican state convention.[39][40]

On September 30, 2024, the Braun for Governor campaign released an ad that contained an image altered to show Democratic opponent Jennifer McCormick leading a rally with people holding signs stating "No Gas Stoves."[41] The image actually showed people holding "McCormick for Governor" signs. Running an ad with an altered image may be illegal under Indiana State Law HEA 1133.[42] Later that day, the Braun campaign released an updated version of the ad with a disclaimer noting the use of an altered image which complies with the law.[43]

Political positions

[edit]

Abortion

[edit]

Braun opposes abortion.[44] He tweeted in support of the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade.[45]

Donald Trump

[edit]

According to FiveThirtyEight, Braun voted with Donald Trump's position 90.9% of the time between Braun's inauguration and Trump's departure from office two years later.[46]

During Trump's first impeachment and impeachment trial, regarding the Trump–Ukraine scandal, Braun became one of Trump's most prominent defenders, defending him in many media appearances.[47] He voted to acquit Trump, and when asked whether it is acceptable for Trump to withhold U.S. foreign aid to coerce a foreign leader to investigate Joe Biden, he said that he did not believe that such behavior was proper but that "it didn't happen."[48] Braun also said that Trump did what he did out of a desire to reduce corruption in Ukraine.[49] After Trump was acquitted, Braun said that Trump "hopefully" learned something from the trial.[50][51]

Congressional reform

[edit]

Braun opposes earmarks. He introduced an amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 to remove all earmarks from the bill, saying: "Earmarks give representatives, give senators the incentive to be big spenders. We should cut every earmark out of this bill and ban them permanently and quit loading up our kids and grandkids with the debt to pay for all this." The amendment failed.[52]

Effort to overturn 2020 presidential election result

[edit]
Further information: Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election

After Biden won the 2020 presidential election, Trump refused to concede and made baseless claims of election fraud. Braun defended, and joined in, Trump's attempt to overturn the election results.[53] He wrote a Washington Examiner editorial criticizing the media for not taking accusations of voter fraud seriously.[54] Along with 10 other Republican senators, Braun initially pledged to object to the counting of the electoral votes in several key states.[53] After the storming of the Capitol by violent pro-Trump rioters, Braun reversed himself and voted against objections to the election results, saying that he "didn't feel comfortable with today's events."[55]

In Trump's second impeachment trial, on charges of incitement of insurrection, Braun voted to acquit Trump.[56]

On May 28, 2021, Braun abstained from voting on the creation of an independent commission to investigate the January 6 storming of the Capitol.[57]

Economy

[edit]

Braun supported the Republican Party's tax legislation in 2017.[44] When asked "The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the tax cuts are increasing U.S. debt. Would you vote to cut spending on some programs in order to pay for them?", Braun replied, "Tax cuts are a revenue-neutral way to get our economy roaring again, but the federal government doesn't have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem."[44]

Braun was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.[58]

Environmentalism

[edit]

Braun is a self-described conservationist.[59] He has called Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg an "inspiration" and advocated that the Republican Party be more aggressive in combating climate change. He opposed the 2015 Paris climate change agreement, but supports using reforestation, carbon pricing, and carbon capture to reduce or mitigate carbon dioxide emissions.[59] He also serves as the chair of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, which was founded in October 2019.[60][59] Braun sponsored the Growing Climate Solutions Act, a bill that would make it simpler for farmers to sell carbon credits on existing carbon trading markets in California and in the Northeast.[61]

Foreign policy

[edit]

In January 2024, Braun voted against a resolution, proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders, to apply the human rights provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act to U.S. aid to Israel's military. The proposal was defeated, 72 to 11.[62]

Trade

[edit]

In 2018, Braun supported Trump's trade and tariff policies, saying that they have "yielded phenomenal results."[44][63] Previously, he supported free trade policies.[63]

Braun voted in support of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement.[46]

Health care

[edit]

Braun opposes the Affordable Care Act, supports efforts to repeal it, and supports a lawsuit to strike down the entirety of the ACA.[64][65] Braun has called for "free-market competition" and "market-driven" solutions on health care.[44] During his 2018 Senate campaign, he criticized incumbent Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly as a "defender of Obamacare."[64] Braun expressed support for keeping in place protections for individuals with preexisting conditions (a popular provision of the ACA), although both House repeal efforts supported by Braun and the lawsuit supported by Braun would effectively end protections for individuals with preexisting conditions.[64][65]

Immigration

[edit]

Braun has said, "building the wall must be the first step to any solution" on illegal immigration.[44][66] He opposes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as minors, known as DREAMers.[66]

LGBTQIA rights

[edit]

Asked for his view on the legalization of same-sex marriage, Braun said, "I believe in traditional marriage."[44][67] He fought to keep marriage defined as "between a man and a woman" in the Indiana Republican Party platform.[67] In the Indiana state legislature, he supported the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act and opposed amendments to the bill that would have banned discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.[67]

Police reform

[edit]

In June 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, Braun introduced legislation to reform qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that shields police officers from lawsuits over constitutional violations if the violated constitutional right has not been clearly established in a previous court decision. His legislation would have made it easier to sue police officers for rights violations.[68] But after an interview with Tucker Carlson and backlash from police unions the next month, Braun dropped his bill.[69] In May 2021, he wrote, "I oppose any reform to the current doctrine of qualified immunity" and opposed federal efforts to reform local police departments.[70]

COVID-19 pandemic

[edit]

In September 2021, Braun opposed the planned COVID-19 vaccine mandate for companies with more than 100 employees, calling it the "biggest overreach by federal government I've seen".[71] He was the author of the Senate disapproval resolution challenging President Biden's OSHA vaccine mandate for businesses. The Senate passed the resolution under the Congressional Review Act in a bipartisan vote.[72] In October 2021, Braun invited Chicago police officers who were suspended for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to work in Indiana, saying, "plenty of departments are hiring now".[73]

Controversies

[edit]

Position on interracial marriage

[edit]

In a March 2022 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, Braun said the Court's decision Roe v. Wade was a case of "judicial activism" and "legislating from the bench". A reporter then asked if Braun applied the same reasoning to the Loving v. Virginia case that installed federal protections on interracial marriage. Braun responded, "many of the Supreme Court’s civil rights decisions have improperly established federal rights that would be better handled on a state-by-state basis." He was then asked whether interracial marriage should be left to the states, and replied, "Yes." Later that day, Braun put out a statement saying he had misunderstood the question and that there was "no question that the Constitution prohibits discrimination of any kind based on race. That is not something that is even up for debate, and I condemn racism in any form, at all levels and by any states, entities, or individuals."[74]

Electoral history

[edit]
United States Senate election in Indiana, 2018[75]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mike Braun 1,158,000 50.73% 6.45%
Democratic Joe Donnelly (incumbent) 1,023,553 44.84% −5.20%
Libertarian Lucy Brenton 100,942 4.42% −1.26%
Write-in 70 <0.01% N/A
Total votes 2,282,565 100% N/A
Republican gain from Democratic
Republican Primary U.S. Senate, Indiana, 2018[76]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Braun 208,497 41.18%
Republican Todd Rokita 151,904 30.00%
Republican Luke Messer 145,936 28.82%
Total votes 506,337 100%
Indiana House of Representatives, 63rd District, 2016[77]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Braun (incumbent) 19,228 71.75
Democratic Andrea Hulsman 7,570 28.25
Total votes 26,798 100.00
Republican hold
Indiana House of Representatives, 63rd District, 2014[78][79]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Braun 4,611 66.80
Republican Richard Moss 2,292 33.20
Total votes 6,903 100.00
General election
Republican Mike Braun 13,329 100.00
Total votes 13,329 100.00
Republican hold

Personal life

[edit]

Braun and his wife, Maureen, have four children.[3] He is Catholic.[80] Braun's brother, Steve Braun, was also a politician in Indiana.[81]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "2018 Election Results, News, Candidates & Polls". NBC News. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  2. ^ Gonzales, Nathan (December 1, 2017). "Candidate Conversation - Mike Braun (R)". Inside Elections. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Neal, Candy (August 2, 2017). "Jasper's Braun launching bid for U.S. Senate". Dubois County Herald. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  4. ^ "Mike Braun For Senate – A Business Leader & Small Business Champion". NFIB. October 17, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  5. ^ King, Robert. "Indiana Senate Race 2018: Mike Braun is the candidate with business credentials". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  6. ^ "Timeline". Meyerdistributing.com. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  7. ^ "Meyer Distributing named Warehouse Distributor of the Year". Dubois County Free Press. November 4, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  8. ^ Erdody, Lindsey (May 24, 2018). "U.S. Sen. candidate Mike Braun's assets worth $35M to $96M". Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  9. ^ Bradner, Eric (May 6, 2018). "A leading candidate in Indiana's GOP primary was considered a 'hard Democrat' by his own party". CNN. Retrieved February 6, 2019. One of the top candidates in Indiana's GOP primary was labeled in the Republican National Committee's voter files as a "hard Democrat" as recently as December. ... Braun's voting record shows Braun took a Democratic ballot in some of the highest-profile primary battles the party has had in Indiana in recent decades -- and skipped the most hotly contested GOP statewide races. Braun voted in the Democratic primaries in 1992, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006 and 2008 -- which were largely solidly Democratic election years. He skipped the primary in 1994, 2000, 2002 and 2010 -- all strong Republican years.
  10. ^ "Braun seeks second term as state representative". Washington Times Herald. February 2, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  11. ^ "Jasper School Board appoints officers and welcomes new member". January 5, 2015.
  12. ^ Neal, Candy (October 31, 2017). "Lindauer replaces Braun as state representative". Dubois County Herald. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  13. ^ "Senate candidate Mike Braun calls for Indiana AG to resign". WNDU. Associated Press. July 10, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  14. ^ Grant, Mike (August 2, 2017). "Braun set for U.S. Senate run". Washington Times-Herald. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  15. ^ "Wealthy state lawmaker joins GOP's Indiana Senate race". The Washington Post. Associated Press. August 8, 2017. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  16. ^ "GOP nominee who rails against outsourcing has brand that markets Chinese parts: AP". CBS News. August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  17. ^ Sikich, Chris; Kwiatkowski, Marisa; Evans, Tim (November 6, 2018). "Republican Mike Braun unseats incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly in Indiana Senate race". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  18. ^ "Indiana Election Results". The New York Times. November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  19. ^ a b Cook, Tony. "Rudy Giuliani's indicted associates attended Indiana GOP event that promoted Braun, others". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  20. ^ "Mike Braun sworn in as a U.S. Senator". C-SPAN. January 3, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  21. ^ "Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana votes against $19.1 billion disaster relief aid bill". WTHR-TV. May 24, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  22. ^ "Braun backs Trump on Syrian pullout". Tribune-Star. October 7, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  23. ^ "Republican senators both blast and praise Trump's Syria policy". CNN. October 15, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  24. ^ "Senator Mike Braun: Impeachment Inquiry Has Been a Disaster for Democrats". 93.1 FM WIBC. December 10, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  25. ^ Stobbe, Mike; Dearen, Jason (May 13, 2020). "AP Exclusive: CDC guidance more restrictive than White House". Associated Press. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  26. ^ Pinsker, Adam (October 20, 2020). "Braun Urges Senate Colleagues To Confirm Coney-Barrett". Indiana Public Media. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  27. ^ Benbrook, Julia (October 26, 2020). "Indiana Senator Mike Braun reacts to confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett". WBND-LD. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  28. ^ Meg Cunningham, Despite mounting legal losses, Braun refuses to acknowledge Biden's election win, ABC News (December 6, 2020).
  29. ^ a b Lawrence Andrea & Kaitlin Lange, Braun joins other senate Republicans in vow to oppose election results when Congress convenes, Indianapolis Star (January 2, 2021).
  30. ^ a b Lisa Mascaro & Mary Clare Jalonick, More GOP lawmakers enlist in Trump effort to undo Biden win, Associated Press (January 2, 2021).
  31. ^ "Indiana Senator Braun dropped Biden objection after Capitol mob". Chesterton Tribune. Associated Press. January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  32. ^ "Our Opinion: Too little, too late from Indiana representatives". South Bend Tribune. January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  33. ^ "Indiana Democratic Party calls for resignation of Sen. Braun". Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). January 7, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  34. ^ a b Everett, Burgess; Levine, Marianne; Beavers, Olivia (September 22, 2022). "Mike Braun likely running for Indiana governor in 2024". POLITICO. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  35. ^ a b Wright, Alex Rogers,David (November 30, 2022). "GOP Sen. Mike Braun files to run for Indiana governor in 2024, setting up open Senate race | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved November 30, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  36. ^ "U.S. Senate: Committee Assignments of the 118th Congress". www.senate.gov. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  37. ^ "Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute".
  38. ^ Smith, Brandon (May 7, 2024). "Mike Braun wins crowded Indiana Republican gubernatorial primary". WBOI. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  39. ^ "Braun picks Indiana Rep. McGuire as preferred choice for Lt. Governor position". May 8, 2024.
  40. ^ Volmert, Isabella (June 15, 2024). "Indiana Republicans upset Mike Braun's choice for lieutenant governor, backing far-right pick". WFYI. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  41. ^ Downard, Whitney (October 2024). "Braun hits McCormick with negative, digitally altered ad in governor's race". WFYI. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  42. ^ Smith, Brandon (October 1, 2024). "New law on digital alteration of campaign media comes into play with Mike Braun ad". WFYI Public Media.
  43. ^ Carloni, Brittany. "Braun campaign releases attack ad with doctored anti-gas stove photo of McCormick". The Indianapolis Star.
  44. ^ a b c d e f g Sikich, Chris; Alesia, Mark; Briggs, James; Hays, Holly V.; Rudavsky, Shari. "Where U.S. Senate candidate Mike Braun stands on health care, tariffs and other issues". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  45. ^ Braun, Mike. ""After 50 years, the right to life has finally been returned to the people and their elected representatives. I'm excited to see the states take the lead to protect the unborn, and I look forward to crafting solutions that will defend the unborn and save lives."". Twitter. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  46. ^ a b Bycoffe, Aaron (January 30, 2017). "Tracking Congress in the Age of Trump: Mike Braun". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  47. ^ Heather Caygle & Sarah Ferris (February 5, 2020). "Indiana's freshman senator steps up to the impeachment mics". Politico. Sen. Mike Braun quickly vaulted from a self-described 'no name' to one of President Donald Trump's most prominent and prolific defenders during the Senate's impeachment trial. ... Just over a year into his term, Braun has become a prominent GOP voice on impeachment, joking that he spends more time on TV than probably any Republican senator beside Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of Trump's closest allies.
  48. ^ Holmes, Jack (January 23, 2020). "Republican Senators Are Going Full Gaslight on Impeachment, Which Is Kind of a Concern". Esquire. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  49. ^ Baird, Addy; Goba, Kadia; McLeod, Paul (January 31, 2020). "Republicans Now Say Trump Did What He Was Accused Of — They Just Don't Care". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  50. ^ O’Brien, Connor (January 26, 2020). "GOP senator: 'Hopefully' Trump will learn lessons from impeachment". POLITICO. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  51. ^ Smith, Allan (January 26, 2020). "GOP senator: Impeachment should encourage Trump to be more 'careful' next time". NBC News. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  52. ^ Reilly, Caitlin (October 26, 2023). "Senate rejects Braun amendment to strip 'minibus' earmarks". Roll Call.
  53. ^ a b Mascaro, Lisa; Jalonick, Mary Clare (January 2, 2021). "More GOP lawmakers enlist in Trump effort to undo Biden win". Associated Press.
  54. ^ Sikich, Chris. "Indiana Sen. Mike Braun criticizes media for failing to investigate voter fraud". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  55. ^ Lawrence Andrea. "Braun reverses course, votes against objection to election results". Indianapolis Star.
  56. ^ Cai, Weiyi; Daniel, Annie; Huang, Jon; Lee, Jasmine C.; Parlapiano, Alicia (February 13, 2021). "Trump's Second Impeachment: How the Senate Voted". The New York Times.
  57. ^ "Which senators supported a Jan. 6 Capitol riot commission". Washington Post. May 28, 2021.
  58. ^ Folley, Aris (June 1, 2023). "Here are the senators who voted against the bill to raise the debt ceiling". The Hill. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  59. ^ a b c Alemany, Jacqueline (January 24, 2020). "Sen. Mike Braun wants Trump and the GOP to take climate change seriously". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  60. ^ Tsirkin, Julie (October 23, 2019). "Senators launch bipartisan climate change initiative". NBC News. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  61. ^ "How the Green New Deal lit a fire under the GOP". October 14, 2020.
  62. ^ "Senate Kills Measure to Scrutinize Israeli Human Rights Record as Condition for Aid". The Intercept. January 16, 2024.
  63. ^ a b Alesia, Mark. "How Trump's tariffs, trade policy create tricky terrain for Mike Braun and Joe Donnelly". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  64. ^ a b c Everett, Burgess (August 17, 2018). "GOP's midterm peril: What if they win on killing Obamacare?". POLITICO. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  65. ^ a b Tobias, Manuela (August 20, 2018). "Did Mike Braun endorse three initiatives to end coverage for pre-existing conditions?". Politifact. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  66. ^ a b Hays, Holly V. "Indiana Senate race: Braun and Donnelly both want a border wall, but differ on Dreamers". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  67. ^ a b c Groppe, Maureen. "What you need to know about Joe Donnelly's and Mike Braun's voting records on gay rights". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  68. ^ "A Senate Republican Has Officially Come Out Against Qualified Immunity". June 23, 2020.
  69. ^ Payton Knobeloch, Sen. Braun Halts Qualified Immunity Bill Amid Fox News Interview, Police Union Backlash, WFYI (July 2, 2020).
  70. ^ Mike Braun, The federal government should not reform local police departments, Indianapolis Star (May 13, 2021).
  71. ^ Moore, Corinne (September 22, 2021). "Sen. Braun: vaccine mandate is 'biggest overreach by federal government I've seen'". WANE. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  72. ^ Lange, Kaitlin (September 22, 2021). "U.S. Senate approves Indiana Sen. Braun's bill rolling back Biden's vaccine mandate". IndyStar. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  73. ^ Lee, Tommie (October 21, 2021). "Sen. Braun welcomes Chicago cops who take issue with city COVID regulations to work in Indiana". 953MNC. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  74. ^ "Indiana Sen. Braun walks back interracial marriage comments". AP News. March 23, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  75. ^ "Indiana Election Results". in.gov/sos/elections/index.htm.
  76. ^ "IN Senate -R Primary". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  77. ^ "IN State House 063". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  78. ^ "IN State House 063 - R Primary". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  79. ^ "IN State House 063". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  80. ^ "Michael Braun". Indiana Legislator Database. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  81. ^ Pathé, Simone (April 11, 2018). "Indiana's Braun Brothers Keep Their Distance on the Campaign Trail". Roll Call. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Mike Braun.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mike Braun.
Indiana House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the Indiana House of Representatives
from the 63rd district
2014–2017 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Indiana
(Class 1)
2018 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Indiana
2024 		Most recent
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. Senator (Class 1) from Indiana
2019–present
Served alongside: Todd Young 		Incumbent
Preceded by Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee
2023–present
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas United States Senator from Tennessee Order of precedence of the United States
as United States Senator from Indiana
since January 3, 2019 		Succeeded byas United States Senator from Missouri
Preceded by United States senators by seniority
78th
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mike_Braun&oldid=1260506459"