Haley Stevens backs MAGA Republican, then struggles to explain her reversal to Anderson Cooper

Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens appeared alongside anti-LGBTQ+ MAGA Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers at a Black church Sunday and announced her endorsement of him over her own party’s nominee, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. The announcement left Democrats outraged two days before an election that will determine control of Congress.

The appearance gave Rogers a public show of support from the Democrat he once competed to face. Stevens sat beside him at the service, and his campaign circulated a photograph of the two standing together. Instead of the Democratic unity appearance that had been planned for Sunday at another Detroit church, Stevens delivered Republicans an endorsement, and a photo opportunity, in the campaign’s final stretch.

By Sunday evening, she was on CNN, struggling through nearly 15 minutes of questions from Anderson Cooper about why a Republican she had warned would advance President Donald Trump’s dangerous agenda now deserved her support.

Democratic leaders responded with anger. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who backed Stevens in the primary she lost to El-Sayed, called her endorsement a “despicable betrayal.” Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said she had abandoned her professed principles. Her longtime chief of staff resigned.

Related: Meet Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the handsome politician breaking a sweat on the campaign trail

For LGBTQ+ voters, the reversal meant Stevens was supporting a former congressman whose record includes opposition to marriage equality, workplace protections and open military service for gay and lesbian people.

“Mike Rogers voted for a constitutional ban on marriage equality — more than once. He opposed repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. And he’s gone after trans kids,” Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson told The Advocate through a spokesperson. “There’s only one pro-equality Senate candidate on the ballot in Michigan: Abdul El-Sayed. And he has HRC’s unequivocal support.

Robinson added, “We have boots on the ground in Michigan, and we’re seeing this thing through until the end.”

Stevens announced her endorsement in a video posted on social media Sunday, citing her exclusion from El-Sayed’s campaign. She also attended the service with Rogers at Perfecting Church in Detroit, where their appearance provided a striking visual confirmation of her reversal. As recently as the previous week, she publicly said she would vote for the Democratic nominee.

The rupture followed renewed conflict over Israel and an advertisement from an outside group linking U.S. support for Israel to Americans’ grocery costs. Stevens characterized the ad as antisemitic. El-Sayed said his campaign had not produced it and that he disagreed with its contents. Michigan Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell, who helped organize the planned Democratic appearance, said she asked Stevens not to attend because the dispute had become a distraction.

On CNN, Cooper repeatedly asked what had changed between Stevens’ assurances to Dingell that she supported El-Sayed and her endorsement of his Republican opponent.

“Well, look, this is just a weight off my shoulders,” Stevens said. “Abdul has been getting angrier and angrier.”

She described thinking through her decision, writing things down and waking up certain of her choice. Cooper pressed for the development that had caused her to reverse herself.

“Anderson, this is a broader point about what’s going on in our party,” Stevens said.

“It’s actually not,” Cooper replied. “It’s really just a question of why you changed your mind.”

Related: Jesse Watters wanted to debate trans kids’ bodies — until Dr. Abdul El-Sayed asked about his

Cooper read back Stevens’ own August warning. “Mike Rogers will be another rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s dangerous agenda. We can’t afford to give MAGA another Senate seat in November,” he read from her social media post.

Why, he asked, was that acceptable now?

Stevens returned to El-Sayed’s conduct, citing “anger and lack of kindness.” She did not explain how Rogers’ policies had become compatible with her earlier warning.

“It sounds like you’re upset with me too, Anderson,” she said.

“No, I’m not. You’re not really answering any of my questions, so it’s somewhat frustrating,” Cooper responded.

At another point, Cooper asked whether she wanted Democrats to win control of the Senate.

“I absolutely do,” Stevens said. “I’m just casting my vote this one way.”

Cooper pointed out that she was doing more than casting a private ballot. After all, she had publicly endorsed Rogers, appeared with him, and was defending that endorsement on national television.

The race will determine who succeeds retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, making it a consequential contest in Democrats’ effort to control the chamber.

On CNN, Stevens repeatedly professed her affection for the Democratic Party and portrayed her decision as a matter of personal conviction. Cooper repeatedly asked her to reconcile that conviction with her previous statements.

Near the end, after another effort to establish what had changed, Stevens asked, “Was that a question, Anderson?”

“No, I wanted to see if you wanted to fill in the silence,” Cooper replied, “but you don’t.”

Watch Anderson Cooper interview Haley Stevens below.

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