Mike Rogers advocated for the RNC to hire former police officers and sheriffs to stand watch at polling places in Michigan.
Posted by Deadline: White House, Checked
- Sources
- 7 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 85%
Deadline: White HouseOct 20, 2026
Multiple sources, including Detroit News reporting quoted by several outlets and a Bridge Michigan fact check, report Rogers saying on an April 17 audio recording to Kalamazoo County GOP that he had advocated with the RNC for retired or off-duty police officers to serve as poll watchers in Detroit.
The guest relays this claim without endorsing it. It counts as passed on, not against the post.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… know, we just, there's just been, I mean, in the Michigan Senate race, there's been this audio of Mike Rogers that just, it's some older video, some older audio that just emerged and become a point of some controversy in the last few days that has, you know, Rogers telling some supporters that he's been advocating with the RNC that they have they hire former police officers, former sheriffs, to stand watch at the polling places. At one point, you know, some of us as well, they they they would they wouldn't have any authority, so, well, they wouldn't have any authority, but, you know, they look like sheriffs, and they look like, ah, law enforcement, and they could, you know, …
Deadline: White House · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Detroit News reporting, quoted by Michigan Democrats and Deadline Detroit, reports Rogers said 'I've been advocating for the inclusion of police officers—either retired or off-duty—as our poll watchers in Detroit' after saying 'We called the RNC early.'[2][3][4]
Supports. Bridge Michigan's fact check reports Rogers was recorded telling Kalamazoo County GOP that Republicans should use retired or off-duty police officers as poll watchers in Detroit, and that he said the officers could show their badges.[5][6]
Supports. The Election Law Blog and PolitiFact both report the leaked audio and Rogers' remarks about RNC-linked poll watcher recruitment, confirming the audio circulated before the October 20 posting.[1][7]
Context. Rogers has said poll watchers would not be permitted to intimidate voters and that the officers would lack authority; Michigan law permits poll watchers to observe but not interfere, and whether his comments allude to intimidation is disputed along partisan lines.[2][5]
Context. The claim's 'sheriffs' and statewide 'Michigan polling places' scope go beyond the passage, which the sources describe as Detroit-focused retired or off-duty police; the sources do not mention sheriffs being recruited.[2][8]
Sources
8 sources: 1 fact-checker, 7 not rated
- 1Fact-checking El-Sayed and Rogers on policy and biographypolitifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Detroit News - Mike Rogers wants cops to monitor Detroit election workersreddit.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 3BREAKING: Mike Rogers Says He Wants Cops at Detroit Polling ...michigandems.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4Abdul El-Sayed: 'Mike Rogers Has Learned from Daddy Trump. He's ...deadlinedetroit.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Fact check: Mike Rogers faces voter suppression claims ...bridgemi.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 6Fact check: Mike Rogers faces voter suppression claims over ...theoaklandpress.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Republican Senate Candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan Said He ...electionlawblog.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 8Defending Democracy with Marc Eliasopen.spotify.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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