Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) on Sunday defended her decision to endorse Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a move that has roiled the state's Democratic Party and triggered a tense exchange on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."
Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in a bitter primary, had assured Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) in a phone call late Saturday that she would support El-Sayed. But by Sunday morning, Stevens had reversed course, appearing alongside Rogers at a church event and later confirming her endorsement on national television.
During the interview, Cooper pressed Stevens on why she had changed her mind overnight. Stevens claimed she had been "clear-eyed" and "focused on what was in my heart," adding that El-Sayed's campaign had become increasingly hostile. "Abdul has been getting angrier and angrier," she said. She also cited El-Sayed's association with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker and comments from Piker's uncle, Cenk Uygur, as reasons for her discomfort.
Cooper repeatedly asked whether Stevens had told Dingell she would support El-Sayed. Stevens initially dodged, saying she had "great respect" for Dingell but did not directly answer. When Cooper noted that Stevens had previously posted on X that she didn't want to give "MAGA another Senate seat in November," Stevens pivoted, arguing that the Democratic Party's treatment of her and others was driving voters away.
"Why is it OK to have the Democratic Party, and a top nominee, injecting this type of anger and lack of kindness?" Stevens asked. Cooper pushed back, saying, "You're really not answering any of my questions," as the interview grew increasingly combative.
Stevens also downplayed staff departures from her congressional office following the endorsement, calling her team "incredible" and noting she was "under transition" as she leaves office. She dismissed President Trump's praise of her endorsement, reminding viewers that she had voted to impeach him twice.
Following Stevens' appearance, Dingell called the interview "one of the most painful interviews I have ever watched." She confirmed that Stevens had assured her multiple times on Saturday night that she would not endorse Rogers. Dingell said the controversy had become a "distraction" but noted that El-Sayed had raised more than $1 million in the wake of the endorsement, suggesting it might be "backfiring."
Dingell, who said she "loves" Stevens, urged Democrats to rally behind their nominee. "By the end of the day, I thought Abdul was going to win, but I felt a shift just being out," she said. "Anybody watching should not think that their votes don't matter."
The rift underscores deeper divisions within the Michigan Democratic Party as the Senate race tightens. Stevens' cross-party endorsement has shaken the race, and Dingell's reaction highlights the fallout. Meanwhile, El-Sayed has shrugged off the endorsement, and Republicans are seizing on it to energize their base.
