¶ Overview
Rogers wholly supported Trump’s war with Iran and believed there “shouldn’t be a date” when the war ends; he mocked opposition to the war, dismissed the war’s unpopularity and rising gas prices, and praised Trump’s alleged peace efforts.
Gas prices increased over $1 in Michigan and reached a three-year high amid Trump’s war with Iran; the war underscored Michigan’s reliance on the oil and gas industries and dove up prices as Trump dragged the state away from clean energy.
Rogers cheered for the Big Beautiful Bill and told voters there was “some really good stuff in it for Michigan.”
The Big Beautiful Bill cost Michiganders’ $320 annually on their utility bills, reduced Michigan’s energy production, increased energy rates by 15%, and eliminated clean energy tax credits.
¶ Rogers Drove Up Michiganders’ Energy Rates
¶ Rogers Cheered For War With Iran
¶ Rogers Wholly Supported Trump’s War With Iran
Mike Rogers Supported Trump’s Strikes On Iran And Said that “Iran Is An Imminent Threat To Our Country.” According to the Detroit News, “Earlier, U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, an Army veteran, released a statement saying Iranians are the murderers. ‘Iran has waged war against the United States for 47 years. They’ve murdered thousands of Americans, cried out for ‘Death to America,’ sponsored terrorism around the globe — including funneling money to Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, and even tried to assassinate President Trump and cabinet officials,’ Rogers said in the statement. ‘Iran is an imminent threat to our country and must not have a nuclear weapon. May God bless our troops and our country on this mission for safety and justice.’” [Detroit News, 2/28/26]
[AUDIO] Mike Rogers Praised Trump’s “Reckoning” In Iran And Believed The Strikes “Probably Should Have Happened A Long Time Ago” And Were “Really Important.” “Yeah, candidly, this is something that probably should have happened a long time ago. And I tell you that because of the number one sponsor of terror in the region was getting bolder and bolder because there was no action rebuilding the nuclear program right in front of the world. After the last operation there really says it all. Empowering the Houthis to shut down commercial lanes, empowering Hamas to go into Israel and kidnap and slaughter innocent civilians. Empowering Hezbollah to fire missiles continually into Israel and threaten other areas. I mean, at some point there had to be a reckoning for this terrorist nation.” [Breitbart News Saturday, 2/28/26]
[AUDIO] Mike Rogers Said He Was “Not For Forever Wars” And “Not For Entanglement” While He Justified The Iran War. “How do you convince them that this fight is about American security and not another forever war? Mike Rogers: Yeah, well, it's certainly not that all of the if you look at the objectives, I'm not for forever wars and I'm not for entanglement. I do believe in engagement in the world. This has been going on forever. Five, seven presidents have tried to do this, Republicans and Democrats, and haven't gotten it right. On Iran, everybody negotiates. They can. They get a little bit stronger after every administration. And I think in this administration, President Trump just said, nope, not doing this for another 50 years because they're trying to get strong enough Iran to do more harm, more damage in the Middle East to the United States, to our allies. I mean, it's getting to this point where we're after they offered free uranium for life for a civilian nuclear program, and they said, no, all their intentions came true. And again, remember, they're building ICBM capable missiles, meaning missiles strong enough to get to the United States. Do I think they have one yet? I don't. But they certainly have a missile stockpile that they have used to shoot at Americans. And they were talking about going back after our bases there in the Middle East. So what I talk about is the here's the best worst scenario in this. They are so degraded, their missile systems going on, their navy that was trying to talk about mining the Straits of Hormuz, which would raise the cost of goods and services here in America.” [JR Morning, 3/5/26]
[AUDIO] Rogers’ “Completely” Agreed With Trump’s Goals For The War. “So I think trying to degrade their ability to threaten the Straits of Hormuz to cause problems across the Middle East, which impacts us, and the commercial traffic that was getting held up going through the Straits of Hormuz was definitely related to U.S. interests. And the fact that they had these new ballistic missiles they were working on that had longer range and were threatening to use them against U.S. installations. I just think it all came to a head and we said we're either going to continue this charade of negotiation for another ten years and pay this price, or we're going to do something about it. And so this I completely agree with degrading their ability to do that, their air defense systems, their missile systems, their nuclear program, all needs to be degraded.” [Focus With Paul W. Smith, 3/9/26]
¶ Rogers Believed There “Shouldn’t Be A Date” When The War Ends And Called For Conditional Surrender
[VIDEO] Rogers: “People Say, Well, What Date Is It Going To End? It Shouldn't Be A Date. It Should Be Conditional. When Can They No Longer Mine The Straits Of Hormuz? When Can They No Longer Send Drones Into The Side Of Commercial Ships, Which They Have Been Doing, Threatened To Do And Did Before?” “I hope that they keep this mission, though. It's conditional, not a date. People say, well, what date is it going to end? It shouldn't be a date. It should be conditional. When can they no longer mine the Straits of Hormuz? When can they no longer send drones into the side of commercial ships, which they have been doing threatened to do and did before? And by the way, if we did nothing, they would do it again. Yes.” [Joe Pags Show, 3/18/26]
¶ Rogers Mocked Handwringing Over The Iran War And Dismissed The War’s Unpopularity
[VIDEO] Rogers Claimed It Was “Maddening” That Americans Refused To Support Trump’s Latest Middle East Quagmire And Believed That “We Ought To Stand Up, Shut Up, Stand Up And Say We Want This Thing To Have A Successful Conclusion. Then You Want To Debate It Later? Let's Do That.” “It is maddening to me. We have sailors in harm's way. We ought to stand up, shut up, stand up and say we want this thing to have a successful conclusion. Then you want to debate it later? Let's do that. Yeah, but we need our sailors to be successful. And we should stand with the men and women who are serving and putting their lives at risk for us right now to end what has been a 47 year war against the United States. There's just only one president I have found that had the guts, candidly, to take it on.” [Joe Pags Show, 3/18/26]
[AUDIO] Rogers Thought It Was “Really Hard” To Strategize “When You Have To Justify Every Minute Of The War.” “You know, I think, boy, it's really hard when you have to justify every minute of the war. I think for the president, it's unfortunate. I hope they find the second get the second pilot.” [Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, 4/3/26]
[VIDEO] Rogers Called On “The Detractors” To “Stop For A Minute And Think About What That Means To Be An American And To Be A Part Of Something This Amazing And This Committed To Doing Good In The World.” “I hope even the detractors stop for a minute and think about what that means to be an American and to be a part of something this amazing and this committed to doing good in the world.” [Scott Jennings Show, 4/6/26]
[VIDEO] Rogers Wished That Trump Had “Done Better” To “Articulate Those Goals Up Front” But Claimed He Was “Well Ahead Of Target” On Trump’s Ex Post Facto Military Objectives. “HOST: also am curious, what do you hear from people in Michigan about how they're feeling about Operation Epic Fury? ROGERS: Yeah. It's the one thing I wish the administration had done better is just articulate those goals up front. I think they have since talked about degrading their nuclear weapon program, degrading their a missile program, which, by the way, it was they were using for it to extort and terrorize the entire Middle East, including commercial shipping in the Straits of Hormuz, the Navy that was threatening to put mines in the straits and disrupt commerce in the straits. So I would argue they are well ahead of target.” [Scott Jennings Show, 4/6/26]
Rogers Downplayed Rising Gas Prices Amid The War In Iran
[AUDIO] Rogers Reassured Young Republicans That “We’re Gonna Be Fine, We Got Plenty Of Oil” And Downplayed The War’s Impact On Prices At The Pump, “You’ll Get Your Oil, Because We’re Going To Pump Our Oil Right Here In America, And We Got Plenty.” “ROGERS: And by the way, you'll get your oil because we're going to pump our own right here in America. And we got plenty. SPEAKER: So what happens? You know, that doesn't work out in like, Europe, kind of like dries up and very quickly crashes. Right. ROGERS: We're going to be fine. We've got plenty of oil.” [Oakland University College Republicans Event, 3/17/26]
Punchbowl News: Mike Rogers On Rising Gas Prices: ‘We’re Gonna Be Fine.’ [Punchbowl News, 3/27/26]
Rogers Reassured Young Republicans That “We’re Gonna Be Fine, We Got Plenty Of Oil” And Downplayed The War’s Impact On Prices At The Pump, “You’ll Get Your Oil, Because We’re Going To Pump Our Oil Right Here In America, And We Got Plenty.” According to Punchbowl News, “Rogers (R-Mich.) downplayed the impact of the Iran war on gas prices during a recent Senate campaign stop. ‘We’re gonna be fine, we got plenty of oil,’ Rogers told an attendee who was concerned about spiking gas prices and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. ‘You’ll get your oil, because we’re going to pump our oil right here in America, and we got plenty,’ Rogers added, per audio we obtained. Rogers was speaking at an Oakland University College Republicans event on March 17.” [Punchbowl News, 3/27/26]
- Rogers Called The War “A Reminder Of How Critical Energy Independence Truly Is” And Declared It “Past Time We Unleash American Energy And Dismantle Biden And The Democrats’ Radical Environmental Hurdles.” According to Punchbowl News, “‘This is a reminder of how critical energy independence truly is. It’s past time we unleash American energy and dismantle Biden and the Democrats’ radical environmental hurdles,’ Rogers said in a statement when we asked about the remarks.” [Punchbowl News, 3/27/26]
¶ Rogers Expected The War To Bring “Long Term Peace”
[AUDIO] Rogers Thought Trump’s Strategy “Threw Them For A Loop” And Expected China To Step In And Pressure Iran For A Peace Deal, Creating The “Best Chance For Long Term Peace In The Middle East I Have Ever Seen In My Lifetime.” “I think it kind of threw him for a loop. I do, because they thought China is getting the oil. They're going to be engaged. I really think this could be the thing that actually gets them at the table saying, okay, you got us. At least I hope so. And again, if that happens, best chance for long term peace in the Middle East I have ever seen in my lifetime. So I hope it's successful.” [JR Mornings, 4/14/26]
¶ Rogers Defended The Vance-Kushner-Witkoff Peace Negotiations Team
[AUDIO] Rogers Defended Trump’s Motley Crew Negotiating Team And Blamed Iran For The Breakdown In Peace Talks, “The Iranians Just Didn’t Want To Budge.” “HOST: There's been criticism that Jared Kushner, that Steve Wyckoff, that J.D. Vance was the delegation that went for these talks. Is that fair or unfair? ROGERS: Well, I think it's unfair if you look at, uh, you know, who helped negotiate the Abraham Accords, that was Kushner in the first Trump term. And so he knows all the details and all the investigations or excuse me, the negotiations under that. So he makes complete sense. Witkoff has been negotiating peace deals around the country. And J.D. Vance is the vice president of the United States. That's a very serious delegation showing up to get results. And he was empowered, clearly by the president to get those results. The Iranians just didn't want to didn't want to budge.” [JR Mornings, 4/14/26]
¶ The War With Iran Increased Michiganders’ Utility Costs
¶ Gas Prices Increased Over $1 In Michigan And Reached A Three-Year High Amid Trump’s War
Gas Prices Increased Over $1 In Michigan And Reached A Three-Year High Amid Trump’s War. According to WWMT, “Michigan gas prices continue to rise, hitting a three-year-high on Monday morning. Triple A, using supporting data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), reported on Monday that Michigan drivers are paying an average of $3.92 per gallon for regular unleaded, the highest since August 2023 and up $1.07 since last month. […] The impacts of the US-Israel war with Iran on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial pathway from the Persian Gulf that sees the transport of about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, is the main factor in continued high gas prices for the US.” [WWMT, 3/23/26]
¶ The War With Iran Underscored Michigan’s Reliance On The Oil And Gas Industry And Drove Up Costs As Trump Dragged The State Away From Clean Energy
The War With Iran Underscored Michigan’s Reliance On The Oil And Gas Industry And Drove Up Costs As Trump Dragged The State Away From Clean Energy. According to Inside Climate News, “The war with Iran has made it clear, Brixie said, that Michiganders can no longer rely on the unpredictable and outdated oil and gas industry. Kevin Self, a strategy and sustainability lecturer at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, said that while China has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into renewable energy as a cornerstone of the country’s drive for energy independence, the U.S. is slowing its own growth by thwarting clean energy incentives and projects. Michigan saw nearly $28 billion in nuclear energy investments and more than 26,000 new clean energy manufacturing jobs added to the pipeline between 2022 and early 2025, Self said. But with Trump’s tariffs and the regulatory and financial uncertainty imposed on the business environment, the president has stalled that progress, Self said.” [Inside Climate News, 4/13/26]
¶ Rogers Cheered For The Big Beautiful Bill And Told Voters There Was “Some Really Good Stuff In it For Michigan”
¶ Rogers Said The Big Beautiful Bill “Has Some Really Good Stuff In It For Michigan”
[AUDIO] Mike Rogers Said The Big Beautiful Bill “Has Some Really Good Stuff In It For Michigan.” “So the Big Beautiful Bill has some really good stuff in it for Michigan. On the accelerated depreciation, sorry was really, really important for the state. That means we can invest in business, and that investment that happens in business through those tax accelerations means better employment, better jobs, better a higher wages. So that's, that part's going to be really, really important.” [All Talk With Kevin Dietz, 7/10/25]
¶ Rogers Praised The Big Beautiful Bill
Mike Rogers Touted Passage Of The Big Beautiful Bill. Mike Rogers tweeted, “Historic tax cuts for hard-working families! It’s a great day to be an American!” [Twitter, @MikeRogersForMI, 7/3/25]
[AUDIO] Mike Rogers Said The Big Beautiful Bill Was “Really Positive And It’s Really Good.” “The fact that they are reducing the cost of Medicare by taking out, by the way, illegal immigrants, about 1.4 million of them who are on Medicaid that we're paying for. And you have able bodied Americans who are fully capable of working, taking Medicaid and not doing anything. And what this bill said is, hey, you just, you know, we want to help you, but we also you've got to help yourself and you got to help your community. We need you to be out there at least 20 hours a week doing something. All of that is really positive and it's it's really good. And it is this first round. And that's why again and why, yes, the last election, to me, what may was probably the most important in my lifetime, because had we can imagine what the world would look like under Biden 2.0, here we would be in real trouble. So we've got all of this. But this is a continuing effort to 30 years to get in this spot. We've got to take, you know, this next round of election seriously so that we can continue to do the kinds of things you saw in the bill, including, by the way, stopping Democrats wish for the largest tax hike in American history. With that bill, stop that.” [Justin Barclay Show, 7/9/25]
¶ The One Big Beautiful Bill Drove Up Michiganders’ Energy Rates
¶ The Big Beautiful Bill Cost Michiganders’ $320 Annually On Their Utility Bills, Reduced Michigan’s Energy Production, Increased Energy Rates By 15%, And Eliminated Clean Energy Tax Credits
The Big Beautiful Bill Would Cost Michiganders’ $320 Annually On Their Utility Bills By 2035. According to Planet Detroit, “The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ signed by President Donald Trump will undermine relatively low-cost renewable energy, costing the average Michigan utility customer $320 annually by 2035, a new analysis shows.” [Planet Detroit, 7/10/25]
The Big Beautiful Bill Reduced Energy Production in Michigan By 4.4 Gigawatts By 2035 And Increased Wholesale Energy Costs By 33% In The Same Timeframe. According to Planet Detroit, “The budget bill will reduce the amount of new energy production in Michigan by 4.4 gigawatts by 2035, roughly equivalent to four nuclear power plants, the analysis said. Wholesale energy costs will increase 33% over today’s cost structure during the same time frame, according to Energy Innovation.” [Planet Detroit, 7/10/25]
The Big Beautiful Bill Increased Michiganders’ Energy Rates By Eight To Fifteen Percent. According to Planet Detroit, “The legislation repeals Inflation Reduction Act tax credits for wind and solar developments as well as battery storage, which will dramatically increase wholesale power costs, resulting in an 8%-15% spike in energy rates for residential, commercial, and industrial customers, according to a report from Energy Innovation, a climate policy think tank.” [Planet Detroit, 7/10/25]
The Big Beautiful Bill Slashed Clean Energy Tax Credits Which Offset Michiganders’ Energy Costs. According to Grist, “With help from Elevate, a Chicago-based nonprofit tackling utility affordability issues, Martin was able to transform her home into a model of energy efficiency. But the financial incentives that made her retrofit possible — federal tax credits — are now disappearing under the Republican-backed budget bill. The loss comes just as Chicago and the Midwest were beginning to emerge as national leaders in implementing the carbon-cutting technologies. Midwestern homeowners were among the most active users of the now-expiring tax credits. In 2023, Wisconsin ranked sixth nationwide for the use of the home energy-efficiency tax credits available through the IRA. Michigan came in at ninth. States like Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio all appeared in the top 20, according to data from the Internal Revenue Service.” [Grist, 8/8/25]