A deleted tweet and a fundraising plea: Mike Rogers bends the knee to Trump

Former Rep. Mike Rogers, who is running for U.S. Senate in Michigan, deleted a social media post criticizing former President Donald Trump. It’s the latest example of Rogers’ ongoing transformation from Trump critic to Trump acolyte.

Rogers represented Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2015. Prior to launching his senate bid in September 2023, Rogers reportedly considered running for president. On Nov. 15, 2022, he said on Twitter (now X) that Republicans should dump Trump.

“Like many Americans, I appreciate many of Donald Trump’s policy accomplishments but it’s time to move forward,” Rogers wrote. “America needs new conservative leadership that is principled, hope-filled, and focused on unifying us to overcome today’s challenges. It’s time to move forward.”

This post has since been scrubbed from Rogers’ X feed. 

Rogers has criticized Trump on other occasions. In January 2021, he penned a Washington Post op-ed in which he said Trump’s refusal to accept the 2020 election results was reminiscent of dictators. In May 2023, he said if Trump is criminally indicted he should bow out of the presidential race.

Rogers’ tune changed sharply when he launched his U.S. Senate campaign. Rogers endorsed Trump’s White House bid in January 2024, well after the former president had been hit with four criminal indictments. 

Trump endorsed Rogers’ campaign on March 12.

Two of Rogers’ opponents in the Republican primary, former Reps. Justin Amash and Peter Meijer, voted to impeach Trump. Amash backed the 2019 impeachment and Meijer backed the 2021 impeachment. 

In a March 15 fundraising email, Rogers attacked those votes and celebrated Trump’s endorsement.

“If you’ve seen the news, recent polling shows me with a strong lead in the Republican primary, beating my Trump-impeaching opponents,” the email says. “And now, I received a resounding endorsement from President Trump!”

Meijer has also backed off his past criticisms of Trump, expressing a willingness to vote for him in 2024. 

Primary elections in Michigan are scheduled for Aug. 6. Democratic candidates include Rep. Elissa Slotkin, actor Hill Harper, and former executive director of the Arab American Chamber of Commerce Nasser Beydoun.

Asked for comment, Rogers spokesperson Chris Gustafson sent an email attacking this publication.