By Basant El-Faramawy
President Donald Trump praised Representative Haley Stevens on Sunday after the Michigan Democrat endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, calling her decision an act of bravery and loyalty to Michigan voters. Stevens announced her endorsement in a video two days before Election Day, withdrawing support for Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, her former primary rival.
Stevens breaks with party
Stevens said El-Sayed had told her she was no longer welcome in his campaign and should stay away, prompting her to back Rogers instead. Within an hour, Trump celebrated the endorsement on Truth Social, writing that Stevens, a "Highly Respected Democrat" who narrowly lost the August primary to El-Sayed, had endorsed Rogers despite pressure from Democrats. "It's a thing called bravery, and few people have it like just displayed by Congresswoman Haley Stevens!" Trump posted.
Tensions over Israel
The rift between Stevens and El-Sayed had simmered for months, particularly over Israel. El-Sayed, the Michigan-born son of Egyptian immigrants, has called for ending U.S. military funding to Israel and described its actions in Gaza as genocide. Stevens, a centrist, rejected that characterization and voted against an amendment to block funding for Israel. She also urged El-Sayed to distance himself from streamer Hasan Piker over controversial comments about Hamas and the September 11 attacks.
El-Sayed responds
El-Sayed brushed off his former opponent's endorsement while speaking to reporters at a Detroit church Sunday, saying "None of this matters" and pivoting to cost-of-living struggles facing Michigan residents. Trump has endorsed Rogers and repeatedly attacked El-Sayed as a "violent jihadist," urging voters to "send him back to where he came from." The race between El-Sayed and Rogers is described as tight.
Primary background
Stevens lost to progressive El-Sayed by just one percentage point in the August Democratic Senate primary. As recently as last month, she told CNN she would vote for El-Sayed. However, the dispute escalated Friday when Stevens demanded El-Sayed apologize for his Israel comments and condemn an outside group's ad she called antisemitic. Politico reported his campaign then asked her to stay away from all future campaign events to avoid distracting from central issues. The two had been scheduled to appear together Sunday; instead, Stevens appeared alongside Rogers at a Detroit church before releasing her video statement. Stevens is set to leave Congress in 2027.
