Indiana Sen. Todd Young continued to ride the line between support and criticism for President Donald Trump in a discussion on tariffs, the Department of Government Efficiency and immigration Tuesday at the Monroe Convention Center.
Young stressed that he has spoken with President Donald Trump’s administration to gain clarity on the goals behind the mostly rescinded tariffs enacted on United States trading partners April 9. He said he agrees with 90% of “what the president is attempting to do.”
“Maybe on that 10%, I discreetly talk to the president and share concerns and try to bring clarity to things,” Young said.
However, he said “the complications exist” when it comes to knowing the right time to stop. He’s also asked Trump what the rationale is behind the tariffs against each country.
The two have clashed occasionally. Trump recently threatened to scrap the CHIPS and Science Act, legislation Young co-authored, which incentivizes the manufacturing of semiconductors in the U.S.
Pete Yonkman, president of Cook Medical and moderator of the event, asked Young how he viewed the work of DOGE.
“There aren’t many things that I’ve encountered since I’ve been an elected official more popular with my constituents than DOGE,” Young said.
Audience members subsequently booed him.
“Except in Bloomington,” he added after the boos.
Young said that, for him, DOGE is part of a campaign to regain public trust in government by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse.
Trump ally Elon Musk has attended Republican senator lunches, according to Young. Young said he has Musk’s phone number.
“I’ve told Elon, I can’t wait until you get into the pentagon,” Young said. “There may be an opportunity to turn the pentagon into a triangle.”
Though he supports cuts to government spending, Young said he hopes the slashing process at DOGE “calms down somewhat” and that Musk hopes so too.
Musk is classified as a special government employee, meaning he can only serve the government for 130 days or less according to a guideline from the U.S. Federal Labor Relations Authority. That timeline ends in late May or early June, depending on how many days he works in that time frame.
After discussing the activities of DOGE, Young pivoted to immigration. He said he feels that “deporting criminals” should not be controversial.
“How about deporting non-criminals?” a woman in the audience asked. “Should that be controversial?”
This question came amid the mistaken deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully accused of being part of terrorist group MS-13 and taken to El Salvador.
Young ignored her.
“Please don’t disrupt the senator,” Eric Spoonmore, president of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, said at the podium.
“Do immigrants deserve due process, yes or no?” she then asked.
Spoonmore said she could go outside with the protesters if she wanted. A crowd of around 100 people protested Young’s appearance today in Bloomington outside the convention center.
Young elaborated later that he agrees immigrants should have due process, but didn’t want to answer the question without context.
Young took the stage after an introduction by IU President Pamela Whitten, who used her time on stage to tout the achievements of the university, including the advent of an IU dorm in Washington.
As for the CHIPS and Science Act at IU, Whitten said the university will invest $111 million to advance studies in microelectronics and nanotechnology at IU, launching degree programs focusing on microelectronic design.
“It also allows IU to support the opportunities presented by the CHIPS and Sciences Act,” she said.
