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President Donald Trump praised Rep. Haley Stevens on Sunday after the Michigan Democrat broke ranks with her party to support Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, calling her choice a brave move.
Stevens shared her endorsement in a video on Sunday, just two days before Election Day. She pulled her backing for Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, her past primary opponent, following disagreements over Israel.
“As you may have seen, our Democratic nominee for U. S. Senate, Abdul, said I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away, and he’s right,” Stevens stated. “And that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the U. S. Senate today.”
An hour later, Trump celebrated the endorsement on Truth Social.
“Wow, this is BIG,” the Republican president wrote. “Stevens, a Highly Respected Democrat, who narrowly lost in the Primary to Abdul Mohamed El-Sayed, and who has been breathlessly wined and dined by the Dumocrats to help in their Michigan Campaign for the United States Senate against Mike Rogers, has just ENDORSED Mike Rogers for Senate!”
‘It’s a thing called bravery, and few people have it like just displayed by Congresswoman Haley Stevens!’ (@realdonaldtrump, Truth Social)
“Haley said what few people are willing to say,” he continued. “She showed great and almost unprecedented loyalty to the Great People of Michigan with what she did. It’s a thing called bravery, and few people have it like just displayed by Congresswoman Haley Stevens!”
Trump has endorsed Rogers and consistently attacked El-Sayed, the Michigan-born son of Egyptian immigrants, labeling him as a “violent jihadist,” urging voters to “send him back to where he came from.”
El-Sayed is engaged in a close race with Rogers; he dismissed his former opponent’s endorsement while talking to reporters at a Detroit church on Sunday.
“None of this matters,” he said while focusing instead on the cost-of-living issues facing Michigan residents.
Tensions between the Stevens and El-Sayed had simmered for months, particularly over Israel (Getty Images)
Stevens is considered a centrist; she lost by only one percentage point to progressive El-Sayed during August’s Democratic Senate primary.
Last month she told CNN that she would vote for El-Sayed since he has campaigned on getting money out of politics and advocating Medicare for All.
“I’m the weirdest loser in this country, okay? That Senate [primary] race was months ago. I hugged it out. Of course I’m voting for our Democratic nominee for Senate,” Stevens shared with the outlet.
The tensions between these former rivals had been building up over several months especially regarding Israel. El-Sayed has demanded that the U. S. halt military funding to Israel while describing its actions in Gaza as genocide. Conversely, Stevens disagrees with that view and voted against an amendment aimed at blocking funds for Israel.
On Friday, El-Sayed’s campaign reportedly asked Stevens to steer clear of all future campaign events (Getty Images)
Stevens also publicly urged El-Sayed to distance himself from streamer Hasan Piker due to his controversial remarks claiming Hamas is “a thousand times better” than Israel and suggesting that “America deserved 9/11.”
The conflict escalated when Stevens issued a statement demanding an apology from El-Sayed concerning his comments about Israel along with condemning an ad from an outside group which she deemed antisemitic.
Politico later reported that his campaign requested her presence be limited at any future events so as not to distract from key issues during the campaign according to one source familiar with these developments.
The two were set to appear together on Sunday before Election Day but instead saw Stevens alongside Rogers at a Detroit church prior to releasing her video statement.
After losing in August’s primary election,, Steven’s term will end in Congress come 2027.
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