Haley Stevens Doubles Down on Abdul El-Sayed Split as MAGA Cheers - Newsweek

Republicans are rallying behind Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens after her shock endorsement of GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan, with House Speaker Mike Johnson praising her decision and President Donald Trump even suggesting she should join the Republican Party.

The backing from MAGA for the Democrat continued late Monday night as Haley doubled down in a new statement defending her position on supporting Rogers. She said her decision was not impulsive, or made for her by someone else.

Johnson revealed Monday that he had spoken with Stevens shortly before she announced her support for Rogers, claiming the Michigan Democrat was left "rattled" by the treatment she had received from members of her own party.

Speaking on the Scott Jennings Show, Johnson said Stevens had contacted him by phone two nights earlier, before publicly announcing her endorsement of Rogers over Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.

Johnson praised her decision to back Rogers, calling it a "heroic thing" and saying she was "speaking truth to power."

His comments came after Trump welcomed Stevens' decision at a rally in Iowa on Sunday, describing her as brave and suggesting she could eventually join the Republican Party.

The extraordinary Republican support comes as Stevens faces mounting criticism from Democrats, with several lawmakers calling for her removal from the House Democratic Caucus. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who supported Stevens during the primary, described her endorsement as a "despicable betrayal."

At a rally for Rogers on Monday night, "Haley" chants rang out from the crowd as Democrats for Mike Rogers were speaking. El-Sayed also held an election-eve rally alongside artist Common in Detroit.

Johnson was among several high-profile Republican and conservative voices praising Stevens for endorsing Rogers.

Rogers himself said he was "honored" by her endorsement, which came after the two lawmakers attended a Detroit church service together. El-Sayed and other Michigan Democrats attended a separate service in the city.

Michigan GOP Spokesperson Greg Manz called Stevens' move a "courageous decision that puts Michigan’s best interests ahead of partisan politics."

"Her support underscores a growing reality: traditional Democrats who no longer recognize their values in Conman Abdul’s radical Islamic ideology can find common ground with Mike Rogers," he said in a recent statement.

On Sunday, during a rally in Dubuque, Iowa, Trump enthusiastically welcomed Stevens' endorsement of Rogers, suggesting she could have a future in the GOP.

"I don't know Haley. I've never met Haley. But Haley said what few people were willing to say," Trump told supporters. "I'd love her to join the Republican Party actually." Trump described Stevens as "very brave" for backing Rogers over El-Sayed.

On Monday, Johnson said he had comforted Stevens, whom he described as a "friend."

"She was rattled, you know, because the horrific treatment she was getting in Michigan, by people in the party that, you know, she thought she knew," Johnson said.

The House speaker said he had asked about Stevens' physical safety amid what he described as a "heightened threat environment," adding that he had committed to doing everything possible to protect her.

"Look, she is doing a heroic thing. ... And man, do you see their reaction? This visceral, vitriolic, vicious reaction."

Conservative commentator Jennings agreed, criticizing the left's response to the announcement, adding that "a lot of voters out there ought to take notice of it."

Stevens appeared on Jennings' show Monday, where she claimed she had initially tried to put party loyalty first after losing the Democratic Senate primary to El-Sayed.

"Immediately after the primary, I tried to do everything right. I did it right. I put party first. I endorsed him, to which the response was ignored and cut off," Stevens said.

She said she initially accepted the situation and intended to return to her regular life. However, she said her position changed after campaign advertisements appeared that she believed blamed Jewish people for wider societal problems.

"And then the ads came out, ads blaming Jews for everything," she said.

The ads to which she was referring were from progressive outside group Rebellion PAC that linked U.S. financial support for Israel to the rising cost of groceries.

El-Sayed has distanced himself from the advertisement, pointing out that it was not produced by his campaign and that he disagreed with its contents.

In a lengthy post to X on Monday night, Stevens said what has troubled her most since backing Rogers is her own party's reaction.

"Instead of asking why a lifelong Democrat reached this point, some leaders rushed to condemn me, question my motives, and push me out," she said in part, adding that she respects Democrats who disagree with her and in return asks for the same respect.

"There is healing to be done in Michigan, in our party, and in our country. We can build a stronger, more welcoming, more courageous Democratic Party. And I plan to help lead that effort," Stevens concluded.

Stevens' new statement landed support from former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, billionaire Bill Ackman, who backed Trump in the 2024 election, and Republican Spencer Pratt, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Los Angeles.

Stevens' relationship with El-Sayed became increasingly strained after her fiancé, Jason Turkish, announced that he intended to vote for Rogers.

Turkish, who is Jewish, publicly criticized El-Sayed's position and raised concerns about antisemitism, saying he could not support the Democratic nominee.

Stevens initially maintained that she would still vote for the Democratic nominee, describing the situation as a "household divided." However, tensions escalated over the weekend after El-Sayed's campaign asked Stevens to stay away from a planned campaign appearance. Stevens subsequently endorsed Rogers.

In a video announcing her decision, Stevens said: "As you may have seen, our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul, said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away. And he's right. And that's why I am endorsing Mike Rogers. I don't belong in Abdul's campaign."

Rogers later said her endorsement was about "standing together against hate and the future of this state and this country."

Stevens has made clear that she intends to continue supporting other Democratic candidates, but she said the endorsement announcement was "a weight off my shoulders, I’m being straight with everybody."

Meanwhile, El-Sayed shrugged off Stevens' endorsement for his rival. “At the end of the day I actually don’t think about Haley Stevens,” he said, adding later: “None of this matters.”

While Republicans have been quick to celebrate Stevens' decision, the move has angered some in her own party.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said to CNN's Anderson Cooper on Monday night that she does not think Haley's endorsement will have much impact. "In fact, if it has any impact, I think it will end up helping Abdul, I think that it's going to be seen as unfortunately a personal moment of either peak or you know, anger, and that's not about the issues that the people of Michigan actually want their candidates to talk about," Clinton said in part.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Stevens had "dangerously chosen to betray" Michigan families while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reaffirmed his support for El-Sayed, describing Rogers as a "partisan hack" representing MAGA extremism.

Other Democratic lawmakers have gone further, calling for Stevens to be removed from the House Democratic Caucus.

Representative Pramila Jayapal said Stevens had "no place in our party," while Representative Delia Ramirez called for her removal from the caucus.

Representative Lateefah Simon also backed the idea of expelling Stevens, telling Axios: "I hope she doesn't return to work on Tuesday."

Van Jones, ally of former President Barack Obama, said on X in part on Monday that he likes Stevens but ultimately, she disappointed a lot of people with her endorsement of Rogers. Jones argued that she had a moral standing when speaking up for Jewish voters but lost it once she backed Rogers.

The backlash has extended beyond Washington.

Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Curtis Hertel announced that Stevens was no longer "a member of the Michigan Democratic Party, nor will she be in the future."

He added that her endorsement “shows that she has abandoned everything she claims to care about.”

Her own congressional office has also been affected. Stevens' longtime chief of staff, Justin German, announced that he and other members of her team had resigned following her endorsement. German said he was "shocked and heartbroken" by her decision and that the departing staff members continued to support El-Sayed.

House Democratic leadership has not yet announced a formal decision on Stevens' future in the caucus, with Jeffries indicating that party leaders will discuss the appropriate response after the elections.

Stevens is still a U.S. representative representing Michigan's 11th Congressional District, but she will leave office at the end of her term after losing the 2026 Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate to El-Sayed.

Despite Trump's public invitation, Stevens has not announced plans to leave the Democratic Party and join the GOP.

Indeed, she has repeatedly insisted that she remains a Democrat. In her endorsement announcement, she described herself as "still a very proud Democrat" and said she continued to believe in the positions for which she had previously supported and voted.

Her decision to back Rogers appears, at least for now, to be a specific break with El-Sayed rather than a wholesale rejection of the Democratic Party.

However, her position could become increasingly difficult to maintain. She has already been removed from the Michigan Democratic Party, faces pressure from colleagues to leave the House Democratic Caucus and has lost several members of her congressional staff.

The possibility of her becoming an independent or joining the Republican Party remains open, but there is no indication that she has made either decision.

For now, Stevens is expected to remain in Congress until her term ends in January.

Stevens is not the only Democrat, or former Democrat, to have broken with her party's Senate nominee, with several other prominent figures also backing Rogers in the final days before Election Day.

Former Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, now an independent, has explicitly endorsed the Republican, describing him as a personal friend.

"I do support Mike Rogers," Manchin told CNBC. "I think Mike Rogers is a good person. I think he'll do a great job."

Other Democratic supporters include former Michigan Congressman Hansen Clarke, state Representative Karen Whitsett and prominent Democratic fundraiser David Kramer, who previously served as finance chairman for Senator Elissa Slotkin, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Stevens.

Clarke announced his endorsement in a Facebook post Monday, writing that he and his wife were supporting the Republican.

"I served with Mike in the U.S. House of Representatives. I know that he is committed to improving the quality of our lives, protecting our nation’s security, and working with Democrats to get the job done," he wrote.

Rogers said Monday that he was "honored" to have Clarke's endorsement.

Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters has also encouraged Democrats to consider splitting their tickets, allowing them to vote for Rogers while supporting Democratic candidates elsewhere.

"There are a number of people that don't even know that they can split their ballot in the general election," Waters told the New York Post. "Please don't feel as though you cannot, if you liked Mike Rogers, that you cannot vote for him. You can, if you want to."

Waters declined to explicitly identify her Senate vote but confirmed she would be splitting her ticket.

Whitsett's support for Rogers is rooted in healthcare concerns. At an August campaign event, she criticized El-Sayed's Medicare for All proposal, warning that it could jeopardize her family's existing health insurance.

"My husband is an operating engineer, and I want my health insurance," she said, adding: "You will lose your health insurance if the other candidate gets in office.”

Rogers has argued that the growing number of Democrats breaking with El-Sayed represents a wider problem for the Democratic nominee.

"Haley Stevens is not the first one to do this. She may be the most prominent one," Rogers told the newspaper.

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech, Edward T. Cummins