Haley Stevens struggled to explain her abrupt decision to endorse Republican Mike Rogers during a tense CNN interview with Anderson Cooper on Sunday night.
Stevens, who lost Michigan’s Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed in August, maintained that her decision was “rock solid” even though she had told fellow Democrats only hours earlier that she would not support Rogers.
The dramatic reversal triggered anger throughout the Democratic Party. Senior lawmakers condemned the move, members of Stevens’ staff resigned, and President Donald Trump publicly celebrated her endorsement.
Yet when Cooper asked what had changed, Stevens repeatedly pointed to complaints about El-Sayed’s conduct without naming a clear event that prompted her sudden switch.
“Well, look, this is just a weight off my shoulders, okay?” she said. “Abdul has been getting angrier and angrier. I was trying to help and I endorsed him.”
Cooper noted that fellow Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell had spoken with Stevens the previous evening and believed she had no plans to endorse Rogers.
“What changed between then and this morning?” he asked.
Stevens replied that she had simply spent time reflecting on the race and her position.
Haley Stevens appeared on CNN after stunning Democrats by endorsing Republican Mike Rogers over her party’s Senate nominee, Abdul El-Sayed
Anderson Cooper pressed Stevens during a tense live interview as she struggled to explain why she had switched her support overnight
Stevens stands beside Rogers after backing him in a dramatic election-eve break with Democrats that provoked outrage within her party
“I woke up this morning clear-eyed, fresh and focused on what was in my heart, and that’s that,” she said.
“Did you talk to anybody? Did you have a long night of the soul? Were you up all night? Did you have a dream? What happened?” Cooper asked.
Stevens said she had spent time alone with her thoughts and written down her reflections, again accusing El-Sayed of becoming increasingly angry.
Cooper pointed out that El-Sayed had not suddenly changed between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
“So, I mean, something changed your mind,” he said.
The uncomfortable exchange came just hours after Stevens appeared with Rogers at Detroit’s Perfecting Church, abandoning plans to campaign with El-Sayed and prominent Democrats, including Congressman Jim Clyburn.
Stevens had been removed from the Democratic event after a bitter dispute involving an outside group’s advertisement that connected American support for Israel with the rising cost of living.
El-Sayed publicly distanced himself from the advertisement on Saturday, a response Stevens initially welcomed.
Abdul El-Sayed said he was focused on voters rather than the political controversy surrounding the campaign
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at a campaign rally in Detroit on Sunday
By Sunday morning, however, Stevens was supporting El-Sayed’s Republican opponent.
Cooper repeatedly asked whether being excluded from the church event had driven her reversal, but Stevens refused to describe it as the deciding factor.
“Anderson, my mind is made up. I’m rock solid. I’m an independent woman. I made my decision,” she said.
The CNN anchor then cited an August social media post in which Stevens warned that Rogers would support President Trump’s agenda.
“We can’t afford to give MAGA another Senate seat in November,” Stevens had written.
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“Why can you afford now to give MAGA another Senate seat in November?” Cooper asked.
Rather than directly address the contradiction, Stevens returned to her criticism of El-Sayed and accused him of bringing anger into the Democratic Party.
As Cooper continued to seek a clear explanation, Stevens appeared increasingly irritated.
“It sounds like you’re upset with me too, Anderson,” she said.
Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., speaks with Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers after a Sunday church service at Perfecting Church in Detroit
Donald Trump praised Stevens’ decision to support Mike Rogers, calling the move “an act of bravery”
“No, I’m not,” Cooper replied. “You’re not really answering any of my questions, so it’s somewhat frustrating.”
The interview became even more strained when Cooper again raised the timing of her decision and Stevens responded, “Was that a question, Anderson?”
“No. I wanted to see if you wanted to fill in the silence, but you don’t,” Cooper answered.
Stevens also criticized El-Sayed’s appearances with controversial streamer Hasan Piker and questioned some of his political relationships, while insisting that she remained a committed Democrat.
Cooper countered that those controversies had existed before Stevens abruptly withdrew her support and endorsed Rogers.
The political consequences were immediate. Stevens’ longtime chief of staff resigned after the endorsement, with other aides reportedly leaving as well.
“We are shocked and heartbroken,” her chief of staff said in a statement.
When asked about the staff departures, Stevens said her congressional office was already winding down and that her employees were free to hold their own views.
Dingell, appearing on CNN immediately after Stevens, called the exchange “one of the most painful interviews I have watched”
Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Michigan, speaks alongside Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers after a Sunday service at Perfecting Church
Haley Stevens shocked fellow Democrats by appearing with Republican Mike Rogers at a Detroit-area church service, months after warning he would be another “rubber stamp” for Trump
Dingell appeared on CNN immediately after Stevens and described the interview as “one of the most painful” she had ever watched. She also said she had been concerned about her fellow congresswoman throughout the previous week.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who supported Stevens in the primary, condemned the endorsement as “a despicable betrayal.”
Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Curtis Hertel accused Stevens of abandoning the principles she had claimed to support and said she would no longer have a place in the party.
El-Sayed, meanwhile, sought to minimize the controversy as he campaigned alongside other Democrats.
“At the end of the day, I actually don’t think about Haley Stevens,” he told reporters. “None of this matters.”
Republicans welcomed the unexpected defection. President Trump praised Stevens on Truth Social as a “highly respected Democrat” and described her decision as an act of “bravery.”
Rogers, who appeared at the church with his wife, Kristi, said he was “honored” to receive Stevens’ endorsement.
Despite the backlash, Stevens said she continued to support Democrats in other contests and had no plans to leave the party entirely.
“I’m not turning my back on Democrats,” she told reporters Sunday. “It is this one vote.”
