But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check

John McBride

Republican · U.S. House, California District 9
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How this mark works

We track key votes on sending U.S. weapons and money to the government of Israel. A check means every tracked vote they cast came down against sending more, on the side of peace and de-escalation. A question mark means a mixed record: they sided with sending up to half of the time. An X means they voted to send more weapons and money in over half of their tracked votes, even as the way those weapons and dollars were being used became more and more obvious. At exactly half, money this election cycle from a lobbying group we track, or an endorsement from a group that backs sending weapons, makes it an X. Only votes actually cast are counted. Where a candidate has no recorded votes on these bills, the mark comes instead from a reviewed reading of their public record (money from the lobbying groups we track, endorsements, and their own words since January 26, 2024). There an X also covers fully backing the conduct of the war by the government of Israel without significant reservations, and a question mark also covers speaking about Israel without saying clearly where they stand on U.S. weapons and funding. A dash means No Position Found: we found nothing in their own words about Israel, Gaza or the war.

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Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: In a March 2024 voter-guide answer he says "I do not think a two state solution is possible" when one side's goal is the annihilation of the other, without saying where he stands on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-09. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.

McBride has not spoken publicly on U.S. military aid to Israel or aid to Palestinians. On a 2024 iVoterGuide questionnaire he called the U.S.-Israel relationship extremely important, said he distrusts who controls the narrative of events there, and said he does not think a two-state solution is possible.

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Deep Dive

We found no statement from John McBride on U.S. military aid or weapons to the government of Israel, or on U.S. aid to Palestinians. His only documented comment on the region is an iVoterGuide questionnaire answer from the March 2024 California primary cycle. Asked about the U.S.-Israel relationship, he called it extremely important and said: "I am very distrusting of who is controlling the narrative of what is actually happening there." He added: "I do not think a two state solution is possible when the goal of one side is the annihilation of the other side." Both sentences were verified against the questionnaire page.

Beyond that answer, an initial search found no Israel-related rhetoric, lobbying activity, or statements on antisemitism or Jewish community safety from McBride, a Republican strength and conditioning coach running in CA-9.

The money

Checked the five lobbying groups we track; no direct 2026 support found

2026 support from the five lobbying groups we track
Nothing recorded (as of 2026-07-23) from the five lobbying groups we track; earlier cycles and earmarked donations not yet tracked.
Support-only OpenFEC data. Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.

In their words

“I do not think a two state solution is possible when the goal of one side is the annihilation of the other side.”
Source ↗, 2024-03-05

Research log

The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.

The search on 2026-08-10 covered McBride CA-9 and Israel) returned one in-scope item.

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

  • No public statements or campaign positions found. [Nothing found]

Characterization of the conflict

  • Questionnaire for the 2024-03-05 California primary [Current position by election date; submission date not stated on the undated page, possibly earlier; verified]: Called the U.S.-Israel relationship extremely important; "I am very distrusting of who is controlling the narrative of what is actually happening there." "I do not think a two state solution is possible when the goal of one side is the annihilation of the other side." iVoterGuide

Rhetoric and lobbying

  • No statements or actions found beyond the questionnaire answer above. [Nothing found]

Safety and antisemitism

  • No statements or policy positions found. [Nothing found]

Sources consulted (identity and candidacy)

Also in this race

  1. ? Josh Harder (Democrat)

But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Every claim on this page goes through at least two verification steps. Open Find Your Candidates for votes, funding and contact details.