Michigan Senator-Elect Abdul El-Sayed Backs Trump’s Israel Aid Cut Plan and Calls for an End to Arms Sales

Democratic Michigan senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed said after his election victory that he supports President Donald Trump’s proposal to end U.S. military aid to Israel and wants Washington to stop selling weapons used in Israeli military operations. In an interview with NPR, El-Sayed said the money should instead be spent on needs at home. His comments put him in rare agreement with Trump on an issue that was a major point of dispute during the Michigan Senate campaign.

Trump said on November 3 that the United States would stop providing about $4 billion in annual aid to Israel by the end of the year, but he did not explain how the change would be carried out. The current U.S.-Israel memorandum of understanding provides $3.8 billion in annual military assistance through fiscal year 2028. The White House has not released details of a plan to end the funding early, and the Israeli prime minister’s office did not immediately respond.

El-Sayed supports ending aid and wants weapons sales stopped

El-Sayed discussed the issue in an interview with NPR’s Morning Edition after winning the Michigan Senate race. He said Trump was right to move toward ending military aid to Israel and added that the United States should stop selling weapons that are used in the actions he criticized. He argued that American taxpayer money should be directed toward healthcare, the cost of living and public services at home.

During the campaign, El-Sayed focused on lowering household costs, expanding healthcare coverage and reducing the influence of corporate money in politics. His opposition to military aid for Israel became one of the defining issues in the race. Republican opponent Mike Rogers and some Democrats criticized his position on Israel. El-Sayed’s comments are his own policy stance; they do not represent a decision by the incoming Senate.

El-Sayed also questioned U.S. military assistance to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Pakistan, saying that American funding should be more directly tied to domestic needs. His position reflects a broader argument among some Democrats that foreign military spending should be reviewed alongside pressure on U.S. household budgets.

Trump announced an end to about $4 billion in aid but gave no implementation details

In a November 3 interview with Fox News, Trump said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to end roughly $4 billion in annual U.S. aid by the end of 2026. Trump said Israel had become economically successful and no longer needed the funding. He also said the United States would continue to help Israel if needed and would keep selling weapons.

Trump did not specify which programs would end, whether missile-defense funding was included or how the administration would handle money already appropriated by Congress and existing defense contracts. Reuters reported that the announcement came on Election Day and was linked in Trump’s comments to criticism from Democratic candidates who oppose U.S. aid to Israel.

Israeli officials were reportedly surprised by the timing and the lack of details. The announcement has raised questions about whether Trump was describing a formal agreement, a policy intention or a proposed change that would require further negotiations with Congress and Israel.

The existing agreement provides $3.8 billion annually through 2028

The current U.S.-Israel memorandum of understanding covers fiscal years 2019 through 2028 and totals $38 billion, an average of $3.8 billion a year. About $3.3 billion is Foreign Military Financing, which is primarily used to purchase U.S.-manufactured defense equipment. Another roughly $500 million supports missile-defense cooperation.

The memorandum is an intergovernmental agreement rather than a stand-alone law that automatically controls congressional appropriations. However, Congress has supported the annual funding levels through defense authorization and appropriations measures. ABC News reported that the current arrangement is scheduled to run through the end of fiscal year 2028. Ending it early would involve executive decisions, congressional funding and existing commitments.

That timeline is a major complication for Trump’s statement that the aid will stop by the end of 2026. The administration has not explained how it would change the existing arrangement or whether the proposed end date applies to all military assistance.

Israel has not publicly confirmed an early end to the aid

Trump said Netanyahu had agreed to end the assistance, but the Israeli prime minister’s office did not immediately issue a public confirmation. Israeli finance and defense officials told local media that they were surprised by the timing and the details of the announcement. Opposition politicians also criticized the government for not explaining a possible change in the U.S.-Israel security relationship.

Netanyahu has previously discussed reducing Israel’s dependence on U.S. military assistance over time and shifting toward joint investment in defense technology. But his earlier comments described a gradual transition over several years, not an immediate end to the current funding arrangement. Trump’s year-end timeline therefore differs from the existing agreement and from Netanyahu’s previously stated approach.

The announcement also does not settle the future of arms sales. Trump said the United States would continue selling weapons, while El-Sayed called for those sales to stop. Those are separate policy questions: ending annual grant assistance would not automatically prohibit commercial arms sales or other defense cooperation.

A senator-elect’s position does not change U.S. policy by itself

El-Sayed is the first Muslim American elected to the U.S. Senate and won a key seat for Democrats in Michigan. His campaign made U.S. military aid to Israel and the war in Gaza central policy issues. His post-election comments show that he intends to continue pressing for a change in U.S. policy after taking office.

The confirmed facts are that El-Sayed publicly backed Trump’s stated direction and called for an end to weapons sales, while Trump said the roughly $4 billion in annual aid would stop by the end of 2026 without providing an implementation plan. The current $3.8 billion annual arrangement remains in place through fiscal year 2028, and the role of Congress and existing contracts has not been resolved.

It remains unclear whether the administration will formally seek to end the aid early, which programs would be affected and whether weapons sales would continue unchanged. Further statements from the White House, the Israeli government and Congress will be needed to determine whether Trump’s announcement becomes an implemented policy.