Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday confronted “Fox and Friends” host Lawrence Jones over his questioning regarding Rep. Haley Stevens' (D-Mich.) decision to endorse Republican Mike Rogers over Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
Jones pressed Buttigieg on why Stevens, who had endorsed a Republican, was facing backlash from her party. "You have a sitting congresswoman that is just pointing out her objections, and it seems like your party has pushed her out. Why is she not welcome in the big tent of the party?" Jones asked.
Buttigieg responded that Stevens is free to express her views but suggested that most Democrats and Michiganders disagree with her stance. "But I think most Democrats and most Michiganders disagree with her, just like most people in this country right now disagree with the president," he stated.
Stevens has drawn criticism for her last-minute endorsement of Rogers, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump. This followed her fiancé's vocal opposition to El-Sayed and a dispute over an advertisement. The El-Sayed campaign has since distanced itself from the ad.
During an interview with Anderson Cooper, Stevens had difficulty explaining her endorsement. She later posted a lengthy essay on social media amid the ensuing controversy.
When Jones again brought up the party's reaction to Stevens' endorsement, Buttigieg commented, "I mean, look, if a member of a party attacks another member of the party, sometimes there are gonna be some repercussions to that." He added that this issue was "definitely not something that my relatives and neighbors in Michigan are talking about."
Jones persisted, referencing an advertisement that Stevens interpreted as antisemitic. Buttigieg countered that El-Sayed rejected the ad and did not produce it. He stated that the ads El-Sayed is actually producing focus on Rogers' voting record regarding the Affordable Care Act.