Haley Stevens slammed over Republican endorsement, struggles to explain abrupt reversal

Michigan's Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens has sparked controversy after endorsing Republican Mike Rogers in the state's Senate race, less than 48 hours before Election Day, despite repeatedly assuring fellow Democrats she would support her former primary rival, Abdul El-Sayed. According to CNN's reporting, Stevens told a key Democratic ally as late as Saturday night that she was sticking with Sayed. By Sunday, however, she appeared alongside Rogers at a Detroit church and announced her support for the Republican. The abrupt reversal, coming roughly 12 hours after her reported assurances, has prompted widespread criticism from Democratic lawmakers and political commentators, with particular attention focused on Stevens' subsequent attempts to explain her decision. During a tense interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper on Sunday, Stevens was repeatedly pressed to explain what had changed overnight. "Well, look, this is just a weight off my shoulders, OK?" Stevens responded, before accusing Sayed of becoming increasingly angry and making some Democrats feel unwelcome in his campaign. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "Nothing with me changed, Anderson," she insisted. Cooper challenged the explanation, noting that Stevens had previously described Rogers as a potential rubber stamp for President Donald Trump's agenda and warned against giving Republicans another Senate seat. As Stevens continued to discuss her disagreements with Sayed without identifying a specific turning point, Cooper expressed frustration. "You're not really answering any of my questions, so it's somewhat frustrating," he said. The exchange quickly drew widespread online criticism, with numerous commentators questioning how Stevens could claim nothing had changed while reversing her endorsement within hours. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticised Stevens for betraying the working class “by endorsing the very Republican she said she wanted to run against”. Working class people’s lives are on the ballot on Tuesday—their healthcare, their rent, their bills. Haley Stevens just betrayed them by endorsing the very Republican she said she wanted to run against. — Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) November 1, 2026 Stevens cites Hasan Piker and antisemitism Stevens defended her endorsement by pointing to Sayed's association with progressive streamer Hasan Piker, and disagreements over antisemitism. "We can't stand with hate. We can't stand with Hasan Piker," Stevens said while appearing alongside Rogers. During her CNN interview, she again invoked Piker and his uncle, political commentator Cenk Uygur, as reasons for her decision. However, Cooper pointed out that these associations were already known when Stevens initially endorsed Sayed, raising further questions about why her position had changed so suddenly. Stevens also cited an advertisement by an outside political group that linked the cost of living in Michigan to US financial support for Israel. The advertisement was criticised for invoking antisemitic tropes, although Sayed had publicly disagreed with its framing, according to Axios. Her explanation prompted another wave of online criticism, with commentators questioning the timing of her objections and the consistency of her decision to support Rogers. Haley Stevens goes on an UNHINGED rant about Hasan Piker and Cenk on CNN, and even Anderson Cooper is confused💀 Anderson asks a simple follow-up question, and she has no idea how to respond. I have never seen a meltdown like this before😭 https://t.co/imT6vE4FsS — Hasanabi Productions (fan account) (@HasanabiProd) November 2, 2026 Jewish Democratic leaders challenge Stevens Stevens' attempt to frame her endorsement around concerns about antisemitism also drew criticism from the leadership of the Democratic National Committee's Jewish-American Council. In a joint statement shared on X, council chair Adam Goldwyn and vice chair Steph Newton acknowledged disagreements with Sayed over Israel and Jewish safety but warned against using those concerns for political purposes. "Those disagreements deserve to have serious discussion, not political exploitation," they said. The leaders also accused Stevens of overlooking antisemitism controversies involving Rogers' campaign, citing students associated with his outreach operation who had defended a Young Republicans group chat containing praise for Adolf Hitler. "If Stevens actually cared about protecting Jews, she would have raised those concerns with Rogers' campaign before endorsing the MAGA Republican. She did not," the statement read. The council leaders went on to criticise Rogers' alignment with Trump and urged Michigan voters to support Sayed. Their statement added to criticism from other Jewish Democrats who have rejected Stevens' endorsement despite expressing their own concerns about Sayed's rhetoric and political associations. According to The Times of Israel, Michigan congressional candidate Jeremy Moss, who has publicly disagreed with Sayed, also rejected Rogers as an alternative. "Mike Rogers is not the solution to this problem," Moss said. Statement from DNC Jewish American Council Leadership regarding @AbdulElSayed https://t.co/9HoQJM1Vbt — Steph Newton (@stephnewtonor) November 2, 2026 The controversy also triggered resignations within Stevens' staff and condemnation from Democratic lawmakers. Representative Jamie Raskin, who reportedly spoke with Stevens on Saturday night, expressed disbelief at her reversal, while Michigan's Congresswoman Debbie Dingell questioned the timing of the decision. Sayed, meanwhile, has sought to move past the controversy, telling reporters on Sunday that he was focused on Michigan voters rather than Stevens.