U.S. Representative Haley Stevens faced a combative interview on CNN Sunday night as she struggled to explain her abrupt decision to endorse Republican Mike Rogers, the opponent of her party's Senate nominee, Abdul El-Sayed.
Stevens, who lost Michigan's Democratic primary to El-Sayed in August, stated her decision was "rock solid" despite having told fellow Democrats hours earlier that she would not support the Republican candidate. This reversal has drawn sharp criticism from within the Democratic Party, with senior lawmakers condemning Stevens, some of her staff resigning, and President Donald Trump publicly celebrating her choice.
During the CNN interview with Anderson Cooper, Stevens repeatedly cited El-Sayed's behavior without pinpointing a specific event that triggered her change of heart. "Abdul has been getting angrier and angrier. I was trying to help and I endorsed him," Stevens said. When pressed about what changed between Saturday evening and Sunday morning, Stevens insisted she had simply spent time alone with her thoughts.
The situation intensified as Cooper pointed out that El-Sayed's demeanor had not significantly shifted in that short timeframe, implying an external factor influenced Stevens' decision. The interview came just hours after Stevens appeared alongside Rogers at a Detroit church, abandoning plans to campaign with El-Sayed and other prominent Democrats.
Stevens had previously been uninvited from a Democratic event due to a dispute over an advertisement that linked U.S. support for Israel with the rising cost of living. El-Sayed had publicly distanced himself from the ad, a response Stevens initially welcomed, only to endorse his Republican opponent hours later.
Cooper confronted Stevens with an August social media post where she warned that Rogers would be another supporter of Trump's agenda. "We can't afford to give MAGA another Senate seat in November," Stevens had written. Cooper questioned why she now felt she could afford to do so. Stevens deflected by again criticizing El-Sayed's conduct and accusing him of injecting anger into the Democratic Party.
The political fallout was immediate. Stevens' chief of staff resigned following her endorsement of Rogers, with other aides reportedly following suit. Stevens, however, stated her congressional office was winding down and that staff members were entitled to their own opinions.
Fellow Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell, appearing on CNN immediately after Stevens, described the interview as "one of the most painful interviews I have watched." Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the endorsement "a despicable betrayal," and Michigan Democratic Party chairman Curtis Hertel declared Stevens would no longer have a place in the party.
El-Sayed, campaigning with other Democrats, largely dismissed the controversy, stating, "At the end of the day I actually don't think about Haley Stevens. None of this matters." Republicans, however, welcomed the defection, with President Trump praising Stevens' move as an act of "bravery." Rogers stated he was "honored" to receive her endorsement.
Stevens maintained that she was still supporting Democrats in other races and had no intention of abandoning her party entirely, stating, "It is this one vote."