The AIPAC backlash

Summary

Today, Explained – "The AIPAC Backlash" (August 11, 2026)

Episode Overview

This episode of Today, Explained delves into the growing controversy and backlash surrounding the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC and its significant influence in recent US political races, focusing in particular on Michigan’s Democratic primaries. Hosts Noel King and Andy Levin—joined by David Dayen of the American Prospect—explore AIPAC’s shift from traditional lobbying to pouring tens of millions of dollars into campaign super PACs, the impact of its money on electoral outcomes, and the broader debate about dark money and anti-Semitism in US politics.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. AIPAC’s Evolution and Growing Political Clout

• Historical Background
  • Began as a lobbying group in the 1950s to strengthen US-Israel ties ([02:13] David Dayen).
  • Traditionally engaged across the political spectrum, hosting annual conventions with attendance from both sides ([02:48] David Dayen).
• Recent Tactical Shift
  • Five years ago, AIPAC moved beyond lobbying, directly influencing which candidates reach Congress through super PAC spending ([03:13] David Dayen).
  • Developed sophisticated financial networks, sometimes funneling money through multiple PAC layers—making the funding less transparent ([00:36] David Dayen).
• Motivation for Change
  • Triggered by the rise of progressive Democrats (“the Squad”), with vocal criticism of US-Israel policy ([03:55] David Dayen).
  • "People who had very strident views, particularly about the US-Israel relationship, were very successful ... and it could be that AIPAC wanted to try to provide a counterweight." ([04:20] David Dayen).

2. Money Flows, Pop-Up PACs, and Michigan’s Primary Races

• Scope of AIPAC Spending
  • AIPAC raised ~$100 million and spent $28 million in independent expenditures this cycle, likely an undercount due to money distributed to other PACs ([06:34] David Dayen).
  • Practice of “money laundering” through pop-up shell PACs in local races (e.g., “Elect Chicago Women” and “Affordable Chicago Now”) to obscure AIPAC’s involvement ([06:34]–[08:28] David Dayen).
• Case Study: Illinois Primaries
  • Millions spent helping candidates in four open seats; AIPAC-backed candidates won two races, lost two ([08:28]–[09:42] David Dayen).
  • Disclosure of AIPAC’s support became an electoral liability in certain races: "AIPAC found out the hard way the 9th district is not for sale." ([10:07] Andy Levin quoting campaign rhetoric).
• Current Michigan Example
  • $30 million spent to boost Haley Stevens; ultimately, she lost her race to Abdul Al Sayed, partly due to backlash against dark money ([00:02] Noel King).

3. Backlash, Dark Money, and Public Sentiment

• Shifting Public Perception
  • War in Gaza (post-October 7, 2023) changed the meaning of an AIPAC endorsement, viewed more negatively today ([05:54]–[06:27] David Dayen).
  • "Large numbers of Americans now view that relationship negatively." ([05:54] David Dayen).
• Transparency Issues
  • The complex PAC structure makes it hard to track money and raises concerns about the democratic process ([10:26]–[11:19] David Dayen).
  • “The mind kind of boggles when you try to figure out where this money’s coming from, who it’s supporting, where it’s intended to go ...” ([10:35] David Dayen).

4. Anti-Semitism and Criticism of AIPAC

• Conflating Criticism with Anti-Semitism
  • AIPAC has begun publicly framing criticism of Israel or its influence as anti-Semitic, calling Bernie Sanders’ critique a “hate-filled rant and blood libel” ([11:19] Noel King).
  • Dayen and Levin both reject this conflation, warning it undermines legitimate criticism and harms the broader fight against anti-Semitism ([11:59] David Dayen, [22:46] Andy Levin).
  • "This idea that AIPAC pushes, that criticizing Israel is anti Semitic, is ludicrous and it just needs to be called out." ([22:46] Andy Levin)
• Personal Experience
  • Andy Levin, a Jewish former congressman, underscores the dangers of mislabeling criticism and describes his own experiences with anti-Semitism ([22:46] Andy Levin).

5. Andy Levin on Losing to AIPAC and the Michigan Backlash

• Firsthand Account
  • Levin describes AIPAC’s method: primarily positive ads for his opponent rather than direct negative ads about him, driven by polling and focus groups ([21:41] Andy Levin).
  • Despite millions spent, in 2026, Haley Stevens (again backed heavily by AIPAC) lost—reflecting a shift in voter attitudes, frustration with special interests, and an energized local campaign ([24:13] Andy Levin).
• Reflection and Vindication
  • Levin refuses a revenge narrative: “I just don’t feel like that... you could say that AIPAC harmed Haley Stevens. But the reason the election was so close was the tens of millions of dollars they poured [into the] campaign.” ([26:21] Andy Levin).
  • Emphasizes the broader issue: “People are fed up with all the money in politics, all the special interests in politics, and AIPAC is really the kind of biggest symbol of that in America.” ([25:21] Andy Levin).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Obscured Money Flow (00:36)
  • "I’m going to sound crazy when I say this, but Crush Maga Pack is affiliated with a different PAC called Save Democracy. And Save Democracy has received $100,000 from United Democracy Project... sometimes the layers here are two or three or even four PACs deep."
    — David Dayen ([00:36])
• On AIPAC’s Shift to Electioneering (03:13)
  • "Something changed about five years ago, and AIPAC was not content to just lobby members of Congress. They wanted to influence who actually got to Washington."
    — David Dayen ([03:13])
• On the Pop-Up PAC Strategy (06:34)
  • "A perfect example was the first real major primary state of the cycle which was Illinois... millions of dollars went from AIPAC super PAC ... into these two pop up PACs. One called Elect Chicago Women... the other called Affordable Chicago Now."
    — David Dayen ([06:34])
• On AIPAC’s Response to Criticism (11:59)
  • "When AIPAC decides, ‘okay, we’re gonna respond to criticism ... to saying any criticism of what we’re doing is anti-Semitic’ ... people who see this as a broader problem about money in politics see that as an extremely cynical take."
    — David Dayen ([11:59])
• On Electoral Blowback (10:07)
  • "AIPAC found out the hard way the 9th district is not for sale."
    — Andy Levin ([10:07])
• On Criticism vs. Anti-Semitism (22:46)
  • "This idea that AIPAC pushes, that criticizing Israel is anti-Semitic, is ludicrous and it just needs to be called out... that’s not anti-Semitic. If you say Israel committed genocide in Gaza ... you can’t say that’s anti-Semitic."
    — Andy Levin ([22:46])
• On Money in Politics (25:21)
  • "People are fed up with all the money in politics, all the special interests in politics, and AIPAC is really the kind of biggest symbol of that in America."
    — Andy Levin ([25:21])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• AIPAC’s Origins and Purpose: [02:13]–[02:48]
• Shift to Direct Political Influence: [03:13]–[04:55]
• Money Flows & Pop-up PACs Explained: [06:27]–[09:42]
• Illinois Primary Case Study: [08:28]–[10:12]
• Broader Political & Ethical Implications: [10:26]–[11:19]
• AIPAC, Anti-Semitism, and Public Response: [11:19]–[13:10]
• Andy Levin on Michigan Race: [18:54]–[22:46]
• Voter Frustration and Political Change: [24:13]–[25:21]

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Conclusion

In this episode, Today, Explained shines a spotlight on AIPAC’s controversial new role as a big-money political operator and the resultant blowback in American politics. Through interviews with veteran journalist David Dayen and former Congressman Andy Levin, the episode explores the complex interplay between influence, money, and public trust—highlighting how dark money tactics may now do electoral harm as much as good, while stirring up debate about anti-Semitism and legitimate policy criticism. The episode’s candid personal accounts and clear tracing of money flows make it an essential listen for understanding the shifting landscape of US political influence and activism in 2026.

Transcript

[Noel King]

Concerns about dark money in US Politics date back years, at least to Citizens United, the 2010 Supreme Court decision that removed barriers on corporate spending in elections during midterm cycles and presidential races, there's always grumbling about dark money, and this year in Michigan, it sometimes seemed like the whole race. The pro Israel lobbying group AIPAC spent about $30 million boosting the campaign of Haley Stevens. Her opponent, Abdul Al Sayed, drew attention to this again and again, and she lost. AIPAC is in a difficult position. Its support can now be a liability, and some people are questioning the way the organization disperses money.

[David Dayen]

I'm going to sound crazy when I say this, but Crush Maga Pack is affiliated with a different PAC called Save Democracy. And Save Democracy has received $100,000 from United Democracy Project, which is a pack super PAC. So sometimes the layers here are two or three or even four packs deep.

[Noel King]

Coming up on Today explained the backlash against APAC support for this show today

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[Andy Levin]

This is TODAY Explained.

[David Dayen]

I'm David Dayan. I am the executive editor of the American Prospect, a magazine about ideas, politics and power.

[Noel King]

What is aipac?

[David Dayen]

AIPAC started out as a lobbying organization. It was inaugurated in the 1950s. It's seen and has historically been seen as one of the more powerful lobbying organizations in Washington, and its goal is to strengthen and maintain the relationship between us and Israel.

[Historical Figure (possibly a past AIPAC leader or founder)]

I said, it seems to me that we should really be going to Washington and that instead of sitting here in New York and talking about these things, why don't we make a determined effort? All of us go to Washington. And that was in 1960.

[David Dayen]

They have annual conventions where pretty much everybody across the political Spectrum attends and gives speeches.

[Andy Levin]

Many things that I admire about AIPAC

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

is that you fight for this common

[Andy Levin]

cause from the bottom up. The lifeblood of AIPAC is here in this room. When the United States stands with Israel,

[Historical Figure (possibly a past AIPAC leader or founder)]

the chances of peace really rise and rises exponentially.

[David Dayen]

But something changed about five years ago, and AIPAC was not content to just lobby members of Congress. They wanted to influence who actually got to Washington. And they began to engage in the use of super PACs to run advertising and other forms of political engagement in campaigns, and particularly in primary campaigns that determined who actually gets to a general election.

[Noel King]

Why did they want to influence who got to Washington? Maybe that sounds like an obvious question, but it's wasn't happening before, so why did it start happening?

[David Dayen]

One thing that happened is in 2018 we saw the rise of what is known as the Squad, and that included Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.

[Noel King]

If you want to know what an unfolding genocide looks like, open your eyes. Ilhan Omar I believe AIPAC is toxic. Rashida Tlaib the American people are tired of watching their tax dollars fuel death, destruction and endless war.

[David Dayen]

People who had very strident views, particularly about the U S Israel relationship. Those progressive Democrats were very successful in winning safe seat races. And I'm not in their head, but it could be that AIPAC wanted to try to provide a counterweight and stop that from happening and use their resources, very prodigious resources, to spend money in these campaigns and to make sure that doesn't didn't happen again.

[Noel King]

All right, so once upon a time, an endorsement from AIPAC was a powerful thing. It could be a huge benefit to a candidate. What exactly did it get you? When AIPAC said this is our guy, this is our gal, I mean, in

[David Dayen]

practical terms, it probably got you $5,000 because that's the limit on a corporate PAC. But because AIPAC was powerful and also a bipartisan organization, getting your name on the list of AIPAC endorsees was something that you could tout in your election. It was something that showed that you had a commitment to what has historically been an important bond between the US And Israel. And I think it certainly wasn't as controversial in the years before 2023 than it is today.

[Noel King]

So what changed exactly?

[David Dayen]

Well, I think what happened is the war in Gaza is what happened. And you know, after October 7th and we saw what, you know, a lot of people have termed a genocide against the Palestinian people. I think that because of the changing attitudes around the U S Israel relationship more broadly, where large numbers of Americans now view that relationship negatively. I think that has changed what the meaning of an AIPAC endorsement really is.

[Noel King]

What do we know about how much money AIPAC is specifically spending this midterm cycle?

[David Dayen]

Well, it's a hard question to answer if you go by the Federal Election Commission disclosures. AIPAC has raised about $100 million this election cycle and has spent in independent expenditures and that's TV ad mailers and these kinds of things has spent about $28 million. But that is an undercount when I say those numbers. I am going by the specific super PAC that AIPAC has created. It's called United Democracy Project. However, United Democracy Project has sent money to other PACs, about $9 million worth. I think the real innovation here is the transfer of money from, in this case pro Israel PACs to these pop up packs, these shell packs that are created specifically for a particular election and then funded through aipac. And you know, in some cases other other pro Israel PACs, they are sort of laundering in some ways this money through to other PACs. So those other PACs run the ads and it doesn' look like it's coming from aipac. A perfect example was the first real major primary state of the cycle which was Illinois. There were four open seats in the Chicago area that are pretty strongly blue. And millions of dollars went from AIPAC super PAC which is called United Democracy project into these two pop up PACs. One called Elect Chicago Women. Melissa Bean for Congress ECW's respons for the content of this ad and the other called Affordable Chicago Now Our community

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is worth fighting for. ACN's responsible for the content of this ad.

[David Dayen]

And those two PACs then funded ads for four candidates in those four open seat races. Now if you were watching that on television you would say hey, Elect Chicago Women. That sounds like a good idea. I'm going to watch this. This ad or Affordable Chicago Now. I like affordability. The truth is that this money was coming from AIPAC into these, these ads and supporting candidates that were generally supportive of the US Israel relationship. Now those four races ended up AIPAC won two of them and they lost two of them. And it was really interesting I think where they were successful and where they weren't in one race up in the Evanston area, it became a big issue that AIPAC actually was behind these ads from Elect Chicago Women and Affordable Chicago Now. And the candidate, she was a state senator named Laura Fine actually was harmed I think in the election by this fact that this got out and that this became a Major issue in the campaign.

[Noel King]

I am a Jewish American who has family who are nearly killed in the Kimberly. And how can you take millions from apac?

[Andy Levin]

Millions.

[David Dayen]

And she ended up finishing, I believe, third in that primary.

[Andy Levin]

A few minutes ago I received a

[David Dayen]

gracious call from Senator Fine conceding despite having millions of dollars supporting her and behind her, AIPAC found out the hard

[Andy Levin]

way the 9th district is not for sale.

[David Dayen]

There were other races where this wasn't sort of as explicit a factor in the election itself and those candidates were able to win.

[Noel King]

This all sounds quite shady and yet I wonder how unusual is it for an interest group in politics to be doing something like this?

[David Dayen]

I think it's pretty unusual. It's not something I've seen a whole lot of. We saw it to a smaller degree in some other election cycles two years ago, four years ago, but it has become a concerted strategy this time. There are these pop up packs that are specific to a campaign, but also some established PACs that have been around for a while are receiving money from AIPAC and affiliated groups and using that, deploying that in campaigns. And you can start to like, the mind kind of boggles when you try to figure out where this money's coming from, who it's supporting, where it's intended to go to, et cetera.

[Noel King]

Last year, Senator Bernie Sanders comes out with a statement. He denounces Benjamin Netanyahu's government for what he says is the quote, extermination of Gaza. He calls for an end to military aid to Israel. He says people are starving to death. Now AIPAC attacks Sanders or statement calling it a hate filled rant and blood libel and pointing out that in, in his statement he didn't mention Hamas's attack on Israel. So AIPAC is now public in a way that historically it has not been. And it is tying criticism of Israel to anti Semitic sentiment. Does this help or hurt AIPAC's cause, do you think?

[David Dayen]

Well, I mean, it's a very good question. I think it, it depends on the messenger. But the issue I think is that there's a very straight line between how this money is being used, transferred, spent, concealed, et cetera, and a broader critique that I think a lot of Democrats have about money in politics. And so when AIPAC decides, okay, we're gonna respond to criticism that, you know, obviously is rooted in what AIPAC believes and the cond in Israel and Gaza and the west bank, et cetera, to saying any criticism of what we're doing is anti Semitic. I think people who see this as a broader problem about money in politics. See that as an extremely cynical take. I don't think that really connects to one of the big reasons why people are really objecting to this, which is that they don't want to see their politicians essentially bought.

[Noel King]

But it's additionally fraught because there are anti Semitic tropes where, you know, a cabal of Jews is secretly controlling the governments and finance. Right. Like, feels triply complicated.

[David Dayen]

Yeah, I mean, look, I'm, I'm Jewish and you know, in having to cover this, I have to go through, you know, try to follow money from, you know, Jewish groups from one place to another. And that can certainly be uncomfortable and it does add some weight to this issue. But I feel like we are talking here not about somebody's religion, but about a policy. And it's a twofold policy. One is the policy of the US Government funding to the tune of billions of dollars, the destruction of an entire region and also the policy of allowing super PACs to dictate who ends up making decisions in Washington.

[Noel King]

That's David Dayen of the American Prospect. Coming up. Four years ago Apex spent millions of dollars to boost the opponent of a Michigan congressman named Andy Levin. Levin lost his race. What's he think now? Support for Today explained comes from upwork. If you are a business that's trying to scale, there comes a point where outside expertise could make all the difference. Upwork helps you quickly hire specialized freelancers so you can take on bigger opportunities, keep projects moving and grow without missing a beat. Upwork is a one stop platform for finding, hiring and paying expert freelancers across more than 125 categories gives you the flexibility to bring in specialized talent, launch projects faster and scale support as your business evolves. Without adding full time headcount, you can browse profiles, evaluate past work and get help defining the role so you can hire confidently and keep your business moving. Upwork also has Business plus which lets you access the top 1% of talent on Upwork. With AI powered shortlisting, they say you can get matched to the right freelancer in under six hours. And when it comes to operational stuff. Stuff like what? Like contracts and payments, upwork has a handle on all of it. That way you can spend more time at the helm. It's free to sign up and posting a job is simple. Visit upwork.com and post your job for free. That's upwork.com to connect with top talent ready to help your business grow. That's up w r k.com upwork.com

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[Noel King]

I'm Noel King. Four years ago, Michigan lost a seat in Congress and Representative Andy Levin ended up running in a Democratic primary race against Representative Haley Stevens. AAPAC spent about $4 million to help get Stevens elected, and that time she won. I talked to Levin this morning and asked him how he got on AIPAC's bad side.

[Andy Levin]

It was a couple things, Noel. First of all, I, I think it's just who I am. I not just Jewish, I am really like an out there joyously Jewish person. I have mezuzahs on all my doors I had in Congress and I was a synagogue president until I won my primary. Then I figured I better resign because I was, you know, when I was going to Congress. And so to have someone like me be so clear about the need to stop warring and start peacemaking in Israel and Palestine and the strongest voice in the House with the simple proposition that there's no way to have a secure and safe future for my people, the Jewish people in the Holy Land, unless we fully realize the political and human rights of the Palestinian people. That really was difficult for apac, I guess. And then I introduced a bill called the Two State Solution act, which by today's standards, when many, many members of the House and the Senate are voting to condition aid to Israel or stop certain a military aid to Israel, this bill of mine simply said we need to do everything we can to bring the Israelis and the Palestinians together to pursue a two state solution. And there were multiple provisions about helping democracy building in Palestine and pushing for efforts among Israelis to work together with Palestinians, those kind of things.

[Noel King]

Tell us what happened in your primary election in 2022 and the role that you think AIPAC played.

[Andy Levin]

They do a very good opinion research and whatever boost did Haley Stevens or tore down Andy Levin, that's what they did. And they did. Mostly they did ads that were very positive about Haley and they just flooded the airwaves with these ads. I mean, and, and it's also important to note that it wasn't just aipac. I believe AIPAC actually spent about four and a half million dollars. That's just, just dark money though, Noel. They also raised a lot of what's called hard money or like what people think of as the regular contributions for my opponent.

[Noel King]

I think people listening are very curious about what it looks like when AIPAC decides you're not their candidate. And I think what I hear you saying is instead of there being ads saying Andy Levin, Congressman Andy Levin is not fit for the job, or Congressman Andy Levin is, is, you know, bad for Israel. You're telling me instead APAC money went to ad ads boosting your opponent Haley Stevens. That's what I would have seen.

[Andy Levin]

Mostly, yes. Mostly they were positive ads about my opponent to a regular viewer, looks the same as any other TV ad that's directly for that person. You know, Noel, they decide how much. How do how much they want to go negative or how much positive and in what ways based on polling and re. And opinion research, like focus groups, so that you, if you look at all the, the campaigns that they've been involved in, they go more negative, sometimes more positive. Sometimes. It really depends on whatever will win for them is what they do.

[Noel King]

We talked in the first half of the show with a reporter named David Dayan, who's been looking into how AIPAC spends its money. And we talked about how this can become fraught because AIPAC will say if you criticize us, essentially it is criticizing Israel or even criticizing Jew. And yet there is also a dark history of antisemitism and allegations that, you know, Jews control finance, control all the money, control politics. How do you think about that tension these days?

[Andy Levin]

Well, so to me, there's a few strands about this. I grew up in suburban Detroit, right, where I, you know, in the district. And I faced a lot of anti Semitism. And people said to me, you can't be Jewish. You don't have horns or your nose. You've had a big nose or your nose isn't big enough to be Jewish. And so I've faced anti Semitism my whole life. This idea that AIPAC pushes, that criticizing Israel is anti Semitic is ludicrous and it just needs to be called out. If you say push all the Jews into the sea, that is anti Semitic. But if you say Israel is an apartheid state, for example, I may agree or disagree with that, but that's not anti Semitic. If you say Israel committed genocide in Gaza, which I think is undeniable, that it did, tragically that you can't say that that's anti Semitic. But AIPAC definitely pushes that line. And it's not only is it wrong, Noel, but it's harmful to the vital fight against antisemitism, which is a real problem in America and other places in the world.

[Noel King]

Let me ask you about last week's primary election in Michigan. So this was in some ways a similar scenario. AIPAC again spent millions of dollars to back Haley Stevens. This time there was a different outcome. Why do you think Dr. Abdul Asayed won that race?

[Andy Levin]

Well, there's a lot that's changed in the last four years. I mean, but the first thing I want to say is what a fantastic candidate Abdul is. I mean, he's just a brilliant public speaker in a large setting. He's great at retail politics. He built a fantastic ground game. But we're living in very different times. I mean, we have had Israel's war in Gaza. And you know, the attack By Hamas On October 7, 2023, on Israel was so horrifying, and it absolutely involved war crimes and crimes against humanity. And you can't say enough negative things about it. But then how Israel responded, and I don't know if you remember, Israel really had the moral high ground there. I mean, after that horrifying attack by Hamas and killing people at music festivals, not only did Israel not take a diplomatic approach and it took a military approach, but went so overboard that there's no justifying it. But there's something else that's really important about this moment in 2026 in America. And you're seeing it in elections all across the country. Basically, the American electorate is just so fed up with the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, and they feel like their life stinks. And they look at the Democratic Party and they say, well, you're just as bought and paid for as the Republicans or as anybody else. And I'm not even sure what you stand for. Right. And so here comes Abdul in this moment where the crisis of income and wealth inequality in our country has hit this fever pitch. But I do think people are fed up with all the money in politics, all the special interests in politics, and AIPAC is really the kind of biggest symbol of that in America.

[Noel King]

In 2026, that primary in Michigan was fiercely fought. You watched it play out. You're aware of this. Did you feel vindicated at all when Abdel Asayed won?

[Andy Levin]

You know, people texted about this and said, like, revenge and stuff. I just don't feel like that. I don't have anything against Haley Stevens. And by the way, you could say that AIPAC harmed Haley Stevens. But the reason the election was so close was the tens of millions of dollars they poured campaign. So nobody should bet against the interests that are pouring millions and tens of millions of dollars into American politics. Because in general, the person with the most money wins. That happens a lot. And so it's a real credit to the people of Michigan that they went for who they really believe can change things.

[Noel King]

That was former Congressman Andy Levin in Michigan. We reached out to AIPAC for comment on today's show, and we didn't hear back. Denise Guerra and Peter Balanon Rosen produced Amina Elsadi edited Patrick Boyd and David Tadashore engineered and Gabriel Donatov checked the facts. I'm Noel King. It's Today Explained. Support for Tay Explained comes from quo. If you run a business, new customers are your lifeblood. That means every call has got to be answered, even the ones that happen when you are not available. Otherwise. Otherwise, you're leaving money on the table. That's why today's episode is brought to you by Quo spelled Q U O the business communication system built so you never miss a call. Quo is not just a phone system. It's a smart system. Their AI can automatically log calls, generate summaries and flag next steps so nothing falls through the cracks. It can even qualify leads or respond after hours so your business stays on even when you are off. Quote Works Wherever you are, right from your phone or computer, you can keep your existing number. You can add teammates. You can sync your CRM. You can let that call routing handle itself as you scale. Money is on the line. Always say hello with quote. You can try quo for free plus 20% off your first six months when you go to quo.com explained. That's qU-U-O.com explained.

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