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

Mike Rogers

Republican · U.S. Senate, Michigan
✗From money backing them

Rogers calls it "very short-sighted and politically naive" to "walk in and say we’re not going to allow Israel to defend itself." In April 2026 he said "you have to respect the fact that the nation is trying to defend itself". In August he attended four AIPAC-hosted fundraisers.

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Deep Dive

Rogers, a former House Intelligence Committee chairman, is the Republican Senate nominee. He left the House in 2015, so he has no tracked floor votes on this question; his record is statements and money, and the statements are consistent.

In August 2025 he told Punchbowl News it was "very short-sighted and politically naive" to walk in and say the U.S. will not allow Israel to defend itself, criticizing the Democratic field for "trying to out-left each other" on Israel. In an April 2026 Jewish Insider interview he said "You don’t have to love Israel, but you have to respect the fact that the nation is trying to defend itself and its people", and warned about anti-Israel sentiment spreading on social media.

The same interview has him policing his own side: he warned Republicans against letting antisemitism creep "into the mainstream" from far-right influencers, saying it remains "fringe" but is "becoming more normal" in Michigan.

After Abdul El-Sayed won the August 2026 Democratic primary, Rogers addressed Michigan Democrats in a video, telling those who reject El-Sayed they have "a home with us", and Jewish Insider reported his campaign's outreach to disaffected Jewish voters. On August 22 Axios reported that his campaign had urged AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group, not to run ads against El-Sayed; Rogers told Axios he welcomes "any and all support" from the pro-Israel community and is "proud to have their involvement". On August 23 and 24 he attended four fundraisers hosted by AIPAC in Los Angeles, amid reports that he had reservations about the group advertising on his behalf.

The record

Notable actions

• Publicly rejected the idea of withholding U.S. weapons from Israel, telling Punchbowl News in August 2025 that it is 'very short-sighted and politically naive' to say the U.S. will not allow Israel to defend itself, while accusing his prospective Democratic opponents of 'trying to out-left each other' on Israel.

• Accepted the Republican Jewish Coalition's April 2026 endorsement, having been a key RJC-backed candidate in the 2024 Michigan Senate race.

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.

See a dash? Ask the candidate where they stand, then send us their answer and we'll review it and update the mark. Or volunteer to help review candidates.

No recorded votes on the bills we track. Backed with $31K by Republican Jewish Coalition (FEC filings); endorsed by Republican Jewish Coalition.

The money

$31K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
Republican Jewish Coalition: $31,127.88
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
Republican Jewish Coalition$31,127.88The Republican Jewish Coalition's PAC; it financially supports Republican candidates who reflect its priorities, including strong U.S. backing of the government of Israel.Direct contributions and independent expenditures supporting this candidate from the five lobbying groups we track, every cycle each has filed, through 2026. Excludes earmarked and conduit contributions.
Endorsed by Republican Jewish Coalition
Republican Jewish CoalitionThe Republican Jewish Coalition's PAC; it financially supports Republican candidates who reflect its priorities, including strong U.S. backing of the government of Israel.These endorsements come from groups that back sending U.S. weapons and funding to the government of Israel.

In their words

“It is very short-sighted and politically naive to walk in and say we're not going to allow Israel to defend itself.”
Source ↗, 2025-08-20
“You don’t have to love Israel, but you have to respect the fact that the nation is trying to defend itself and its people”
Source ↗, 2026-04-01
Endorsements

Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC)

Research log

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

Our research for this card began on 2026-08-14 and was brought up to date on 2026-09-26, when every page linked below was opened and read unless the entry says otherwise. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07), Undated. Rogers left the House in 2015, so none of the votes this site tracks is his. The tracked funding figures are shown as badges on this card and are not restated here.

U.S. military aid and weapons to the government of Israel

  • [Position, 2025-08-20] To Punchbowl News, as the Washington Examiner reports: "It is very short-sighted and politically naive to walk in and say we’re not going to allow Israel to defend itself." The same article says he accused Michigan's Democratic Senate candidates of "trying to out-left each other" on their Israel stances.
  • [Position, 2025-08-14, reported] The Midwesterner wrote that Haley Stevens and Rogers, then the front-runners, "vowed to continue support for both offensive and defensive weapons for Israel." This is the reporter's summary, not his words.
  • [Position, 2026-04-01] Jewish Insider interview, near Detroit: "I don’t think we have an effort to counter the [anti-Israel] narrative," and "You don’t have to love Israel, but you have to respect the fact that the nation is trying to defend itself and its people who have maybe, probably, the most horrific history of being treated in the world of any other race on planet earth." The card quotes the sentence up to "its people". The interview carries no statement from him on a specific aid program or weapons sale.
  • [Position, 2026-08, reported] Maintained that U.S. defense cooperation with Israel is essential to regional stability. No page carrying these words was found, so nothing on the card rests on it.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • Nothing located.

Characterization of the conflict

  • [Position, 2026-04-01] Framed through Israeli self-defense (the card quote); expressed concern that social-media narratives critical of Israel are shifting young conservatives' attitudes (same JI interview).

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • [Position, 2026-08-07] In a video message after the primary he told Michigan Democrats who reject El-Sayed that they have "a home with us" (Jewish Insider). Further coverage: JI on the choice facing Jewish Democrats, Jewish Chronicle on pro-Israel Jews' loyalties.
  • [Position, 2026-08-14] Jewish Insider reported that he was working on his campaign's outreach and messaging to disaffected Jewish voters, described a donor call hosted by Bobby Schostak, a former Michigan Republican Party chairman, and reported that Rogers "has also attended pro-Israel fundraisers outside of the state this week, according to a person familiar with the matter."
  • [Position, 2026-08-22] Newsweek, citing Axios: his campaign urged AIPAC not to run ads against El-Sayed after he spoke with AIPAC's chair, Michael Tuchin. Rogers told Axios: "I welcome any and all support from the pro-Israel community and I'm proud to have their involvement".
  • [Position, 2026-08-24] The Detroit News: "Michigan Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Rogers attended three fundraisers hosted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Los Angeles on Aug. 23 and another on Aug. 24 amid reports that he holds reservations about the pro-Israel group advertising on his behalf to help him defeat Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in November." Only the first paragraph of the article could be read. The paper's summary line says his finance adviser calls his relationship with AIPAC "solid" and says there is no rift.
  • [Position, 2026-08, reported] Hannity appearance criticizing El-Sayed's foreign policy stances (no resolved source named).
  • [Position, 2026-08-13] El-Sayed accused Rogers of "hiding behind" attacks on him (WFMD); race context.
  • [Position, 2026-09-15] He declined to attend the Fox 2 Senate debate (Fox 2).
  • RJC support shows as the money badge and is not restated here. A Track AIPAC Facebook post that could not be opened and a michigan-faith-vote aggregator page were not used.

Safety and antisemitism (context)

  • [Position, 2026-04-01] Warned Republicans against far-right antisemitism creeping "into the mainstream"; "fringe" but "becoming more normal" in Michigan; elect candidates "who are more open to conversation about it" (JI interview).
  • [Position, 2026-06-09, reported] Called aggressive anti-Israel campus protest disruptions "atrocious" on X. No page carrying the post was found, so it stays here.
  • [Position, 2026-07/08, reported] Meetings with community leaders on securing houses of worship and protecting Jewish institutions.

The race

  • Rogers (R), Abdul El-Sayed (D), Douglas P. Marsh (G), Lydia Christensen (L), Walter Kristy (Natural Law Party) and Timothy Long (U.S. Taxpayers Party) are running in the general election on November 3, 2026, per Ballotpedia's race page.

Also in this race

  1. ✓ Abdul El-Sayed (Democrat)
  2. ✓ Lydia Christensen (Libertarian)
  3. ✓ Douglas P. Marsh (Green)
  4. – Tim Long (Other)
  5. – Walter P. Kristy (Other)

All Michigan candidates.

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.