But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Jacob Kristopher Anders
Independent · U.S. House, Tennessee District 4
✓OpposesFrom their own words
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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You asked Jacob Kristopher Anders where they stand.
Anders is an Independent candidate for Tennessee's 4th District; he initially sought the Democratic nomination before a ballot-access dispute with the state party and now petitions as an Independent.
His foreign-aid position is titled in his own words on his candidate profile, read in full: "End The Endless Wars & No More Tax Dollars To Israel." His campaign launch announcement frames it as anti-war generally: "As a mass shooting survivor and having lived through the horrible decades of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, I refuse to let more Americans die fighting for imperialism in the Middle East. We must end endless wars and bring our troops home." That launch statement is a blanket anti-war position; the Israel-specific half is the platform title.
In an April 2026 pledge he reportedly promised to end U.S. military aid to Israel on day one and to recognize a Palestinian state; the source is a forum repost, so those words are given without quotation marks and the full text sits on the research page.
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
“As a mass shooting survivor and having lived through the horrible decades of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, I refuse to let more Americans die fighting for imperialism in the Middle East. We must end endless wars and bring our troops home.”
The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
[Position, published 2026-08-12] His localcandidates.org position entry, titled by him: "End The Endless Wars & No More Tax Dollars To Israel." The title was confirmed verbatim. Note: the rendered page also displays other candidates' positions (Harold Jones, Scott DesJarlais, Joshua James); only Anders's own titled position is used.
[Position, 2026-03-10] Campaign launch announcement, confirmed verbatim: "Anti-War: As a mass shooting survivor and having lived through the horrible decades of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, I refuse to let more Americans die fighting for imperialism in the Middle East. We must end endless wars and bring our troops home." A blanket anti-war position, given as blanket.
[Position, 2026-04-22, unverified source] Pledge as found: "I pledge to end U.S. military aid to Israel. On Day One I will terminate every dollar of military assistance currently flowing to the Israeli government. American tax dollars will no longer fund a conflict that has brought decades of suffering to the Palestinian people." Source: a Reddit r/BDS post whose title mislabels him as running "for President"; forum repost, not opened to verification standard. Attributive only.
He has no federal voting record.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
No statement or documented position found on U.S. aid to Palestinians as a policy question. The April pledge (above) speaks of ending military aid to Israel for Palestinians' sake and of statehood recognition, not of the aid pipeline.
Characterization of the conflict
[Position, 2026-03-10] "Imperialism in the Middle East" (launch announcement, verified).
[Position, 2026-04-22, unverified source] Characterized the conflict as having "brought decades of suffering to the Palestinian people"; pledged to "formally recognize and support the establishment of an official Palestinian nation," with UN membership and recognized borders. Same Reddit source; attributive.
[Position, 2026-03, unverified] In a social exchange he asked a constituent "are you Israel first?" No citable source located.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
[Position, 2026-04-22, unverified source] Claimed "strong anti-AIPAC endorsements from progressive leaders and grassroots organizations who refuse to let this foreign lobby dictate United States policy" and said "no single special-interest group should hold veto power over America's moral and strategic decisions," with hashtags #FreePalestine, #BDS, #RecognizePalestine. Same Reddit source; attributive.
Safety and antisemitism (context)
No formal platform position found. [2026-05-07, informal online debate] Rejected antisemitism accusations: "I back Jon Stewart, Bill Maher and other jewish people, but I'm somehow anti-semite" (as found; source is a Reddit thread, unverified; spelling as found).
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.
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