Mike Rogers avoids MAGA label during television interview

Republican nominee Mike Rogers avoided saying whether he considers himself a MAGA Republican during an interview on NBC News's Meet the Press on Sunday. According to the New York Post, AOL.com, and The Detroit News, Rogers dodged direct questions from host Kristen Welker regarding the label. He called the focus from national journalists disgusted, while pointing to growing support from former Democratic voters. [1][7][8]

The New York Post and MEAWW News reported that Rogers highlighted defections from his opponent, Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Rogers stated that his campaign features fast-growing coalitions, including Jewish Democrats and African American voters in Detroit who cannot support El-Sayed. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Rogers has previously declined to endorse comments by Donald Trump regarding El-Sayed. [1][9][14]

In a separate event on Sunday, Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan. According to the Washington Examiner, Trump appeared alongside rapper Nicki Minaj to stump for Rogers and other Republican candidates just over a week before the election. [2]

Rogers is a former FBI agent who served as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 8th congressional district from 2001 to 2015 and chaired the House Intelligence Committee. He is running for Michigan's open Senate seat against El-Sayed in the election on November 3, 2026, to succeed retiring Democratic incumbent Gary Peters. [2][11][12]