Paul LePage

Republican · U.S. House, Maine District 2

Nothing located has LePage taking a position on U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, or on U.S. aid to Palestinians. In 2019 he said Jewish Americans are where the Democratic Party’s money “comes from for the most part” and should feel “insulted” by a congresswoman’s remarks.

LePage, Maine's governor from 2011 to 2019, is the Republican nominee in the 2nd District for the seat Rep. Jared Golden is leaving. Nothing located has him taking a position on U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, or on U.S. aid to Palestinians, and nothing has him characterizing the war in Gaza. His campaign site lists costs and inflation, the border, jobs, constitutional liberty, Social Security and Medicare, innovation and veterans; foreign policy is not on it, and Ballotpedia shows no completed candidate survey.

What he has said touching the subject is older, and it is about Jewish Americans rather than about Israel. In a March 11, 2019 interview on WGAN radio about Rep. Ilhan Omar's remarks on Israel's supporters, the Portland Press Herald reported, he said, “The Jewish people in America have been great supporters of the Democratic Party,” and then, “In fact, that’s where their money comes from for the most part. They should be absolutely insulted for what she’s been saying.” He said he was “skeptical” that Jewish voters would break from the Democrats: “I think what they might do, the fundraising might get hurt a little bit,” and, “But I don’t think they’re going to desert the Democratic Party.” He also said he felt “completely vindicated from anything” he had said, in light of Omar's remarks.

In July 2012, as governor, he called the IRS “the new Gestapo” in a radio address against the Affordable Care Act, and in a statement two days later said: “It was not my intent to insult anyone, especially the Jewish Community, or minimize the fact that millions of people were murdered.” Asked by a Vermont newspaper that week whether he knew what the Gestapo had done, the Forward reported, he answered, “Yeah, they killed a lot of people,” and said the IRS was “headed in that direction”; he then apologized formally, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported, for his “insensitivity to the word.”

The one item from his 2026 campaign that touches Israel is a Washington Times report of March 5, 2026 that he stands behind the joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran; that is the reporter's summary, it is about Iran, and it says nothing about aid. Where he stands on U.S. weapons and money for the government of Israel is a question you are better placed to put to him than we are. Ask LePage directly and send us the reply: it goes on this page in his own words.

Research

Two searches were read as one lead list for this card: one run 2026-08-19 and one run 2026-09-03. Every page cited below was opened and read on 2026-09-04 unless marked otherwise. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07), Undated.

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

U.S. aid to Palestinians

Characterization of the conflict

Related rhetoric and lobbying

Safety and antisemitism (context, not a position on what America sends)

Not on the card, and why

Sources retrieved for this card (URL, HTTP status, date read 2026-09-04)

Addresses returned by the searches and not retrieved

Also in this race: Matt Dunlap (Democrat) · All Maine candidates.

See the full record →

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 the interactive card for votes, funding and contact details.