Mike Rogers: “You also have to protect somebody who got on an airplane and rode with him […] People who just want to be after Trump are just going to beat this drum all day long.”

LANSING — Mike Rogers is under fire after unearthed audio revealed “Rogers wanted Epstein plane passengers like Trump kept secret” and opposed releasing the full Epstein files, arguing the government has to “protect somebody who got an airplane and rode with [Epstein].” 

In the resurfaced audio, Rogers also said he opposed “a big, big, ugly vote on the House floor” to release the full Epstein files and bring justice for Epstein’s victims, arguing “People who just want to be after Trump are just going to beat this drum all day long, because they don’t have anything else.” At the same time Rogers was arguing for sweeping redactions to “protect” Epstein’s associates, his campaign and political committees have accepted nearly $4.7 million from donors named more than a thousand times in the Epstein files.

DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO THE RESURFACED AUDIO:

• MIKE ROGERS: “I do believe you have to protect victims. You also have to protect somebody who got on an airplane and rode with him, didn’t go to– was not a participant in any other activities other than, you know, they may have had business, you know, legitimate business reason. You can’t put that person out there, the court of public opinion would ruin their life for no reason. And so I– that’s what you have to be careful of. But the things that they have that happened around the island and all of that, to me, that ought to be released, but I would be cautious how you do it. And I don’t think a big, big, ugly vote on the House floor was the right way to do that. You do have to protect, not only the victims, but the innocent people who get sucked up so their name is on a report somewhere. It doesn’t mean they did one thing wrong in the raw files. You don’t want to hurt that person’s career or reputation or family, either. And so that’s the way you have to do it. You can’t do it in a big, sloppy way. And listen, people who just want to be after Trump are just going to beat this drum all day long. And because they don’t have anything else.” [Mike Rogers on The Brian Kilmeade Show, 7/28/25]

Rogers has also been “under fire” after he platformed two senior leaders within his campaign who had “ties to a church upended by child sex crimes,” including one who admitted he didn’t believe the victims when they came forward with their allegations of abuse, and another who has stood by one of the men convicted of child sex crimes. Rogers’ campaign still has not addressed concerns about his campaign leaders’ ties to the child sex abuse scandal, even after former members of the church pointed out they had “stood by the church’s leadership without speaking out against their failure to protect children.” 

Read more: Raw Story: Mike Rogers wanted Epstein plane passengers like Trump kept secret in resurfaced audio; Detroit Metro Times: Donors named in Epstein files gave nearly $4.7 million to Mike Rogers and groups backing him; The Gander: Bombshell report ties Mike Rogers campaign donors to Jeffrey Epstein files; Michigan Advance: Rogers’ campaign faith coalition has two ties to a church upended by child sex crimes; ABC 12: Rogers faces questions over Faith Coalition Leader’s ties to Midland church sex abuse case; Midland Daily News: Mike Rogers campaign still has pastor tied to Living Word Church after resignation; ABC 12: Faith leader for Rogers Senate campaign didn’t believe Midland church sex assault victims

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