Opinion: Micah Beckwith’s Betrayal of Hoosiers and the Republican Legacy

Micah Beckwith sucking a sucker on his Facebook live.

By Gabe Whitley, Former Political Consultant and Editor-in-Chief, Hoosier Enquirer

As a lifelong Christian Republican, raised in a family where my grandparents proudly carried the GOP banner, I voted for Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith with hope. I believed his promises of fiscal responsibility and principled leadership. But today, I stand disillusioned, feeling betrayed by a man who has not only failed Hoosiers but has made a mockery of our party and our faith.

Let’s start with the tax fiasco. Beckwith has publicly called on Gov. Mike Braun to veto a bill he once supported—a bill that would slap an additional 4.1% income tax on top of Indiana’s flat 3.3% rate. This isn’t the principled conservatism he preached. During his campaign, Beckwith waved the flag of abolishing property taxes, rallying Hoosiers with fiery rhetoric about freeing us from government overreach. Yet, here we are, staring down a tax hike that hits hardworking families square in the wallet. His about-face reeks of opportunism, not conviction.

The blame doesn’t stop with the bill. Beckwith’s cozy relationship with his WIBC radio allies—folks like Rob Kendall, Casey Daniels, and Jason Hammer—fueled the ill-fated “Con Property Tax Rally” on March 17, 2025. This wasn’t a grassroots uprising; it was a staged spectacle that pressured Braun into a corner.

The rally, hyped by WIBC’s conservative talking heads, pushed a simplistic narrative that property taxes are theft, ignoring the complex realities of funding schools, police, and fire services. By amplifying this stunt, Beckwith and his cronies set Braun up to champion a flawed plan, one that’s now morphed into a tax increase many Hoosiers can’t afford. They owe us an apology for this mess, not more grandstanding.

Then there’s the personal excess. Reports surfaced that Beckwith, a pastor at Life Church in Hamilton County, has been using taxpayer funds to roll around in a luxury SUV. This isn’t the humble servant leadership I expect from a man who claims to embody Christian values. Instead, it’s a scene straight out of The Righteous Gemstones, Hulu’s satire of ostentatious televangelists. Showing up to church in a flashy vehicle, paid for by Hoosiers struggling under his tax policies, is a slap in the face to every voter who trusted him. Faith calls us to stewardship, not self-indulgence.

As a former political consultant, I’ve seen leaders rise and fall. Beckwith’s fall is particularly painful because it tarnishes the Republican Party my grandparents cherished—a party of fiscal restraint, personal responsibility, and moral clarity. His actions don’t just betray voters; they caricature our Christian faith, turning it into a prop for political theater. Calling for a veto now, after cheering the bill’s early iterations, isn’t leadership—it’s deflection.

Hoosiers deserve better. We need leaders who keep their word, not those who pivot when the heat’s on. Beckwith’s WIBC-fueled antics, his tax flip-flops, and his lavish lifestyle have eroded trust. I voted for him, but I won’t again. The Republican Party, and our Christian witness, demand more than this mockery.

The views expressed are those of Gabe Whitley and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hoosier Enquirer.