Trump Invites Haley Stevens to Join GOP After Her Mike Rogers Endorsement - Newsweek

President Donald Trump invited Democratic Michigan Representative Haley Stevens to join the Republican Party on Sunday after she switched her Senate endorsement to GOP nominee Mike Rogers instead of Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.

Speaking to his supporters at a rally in Dubuque, Iowa, Trump referred to Stevens' decision as brave, after she announced the switch earlier in the day alongside Rogers at a church in Detroit.

"She was very brave in doing it," the president said. "I don't know Haley, I've never met Haley, but Haley said what few people are willing to say...I'd love her to join the Republican Party. Actually, I think that could happen. Maybe."

Trump continued: "But she showed great and almost unprecedented loyalty to the great people of Michigan, and that's another important election for us."

Stevens' decision drew criticism from senior Democratic Party members, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called the move a "despicable betrayal" in an X post.

The Michigan U.S. Senate race is seen as one of the most crucial for the Democrats in their effort to take back control of both chambers of Congress.

Newsweek reached out to Stevens' office and El-Sayed's campaign for comment via email Sunday evening.

Stevens, who had originally backed El-Sayed after losing to him in the Democratic Party primary in August, had recently been dropped from a planned appearance with him as an escalating dispute over Israel spilled into the campaign's closing stretch.

The two Democrats have disagreed over Israel and its war in Gaza, with Stevens being one of the more pro-Israel members of the party, while El-Sayed is a sharp critic of Israel's government. Stevens represents a Detroit district with a significant Jewish population.

El-Sayed has rejected accusations that his criticism of Israel is antisemitic, saying his "commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own kids."

Tensions flared over an independent political action committee's campaign ad linking domestic economic issues to foreign aid. The spot, funded by the pro-El-Sayed Rebellion PAC, showed a couple grocery shopping and talking about putting back a carton of eggs because “we have to set that $7 aside for killing Palestinians,” before criticizing U.S. military assistance to Israel in its war in Gaza.

The Anti-Defamation League labeled the ad a "case study in antisemitism," and Stevens called on El-Sayed to forcefully denounce it.

On Friday, Stevens directly criticized El-Sayed’s stance, writing in a statement: "Abdul promises to get money out of politics. He can begin by getting Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford."

El-Sayed, who did not produce or approve the ad, distanced himself from the PAC’s messaging. Speaking to reporters Saturday, he reiterated that he had no involvement with the spot and declined further comment on the matter. He previously accused Stevens of "relitigating a primary that ended three months ago."

The dispute also took a turn when Stevens' fiancé, Jason Turkish, announced he would support Rogers, citing concerns over El-Sayed’s rhetoric and foreign policy positions.

Stevens was originally scheduled to appear alongside El-Sayed and Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, but Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell of Michigan told The Associated Press she asked Stevens not to attend because the feud had become "way too distracting."

Hours later, Stevens joined Rogers at Perfecting Church in Detroit to deliver her endorsement of the Republican.

Stevens told reporters on Sunday that her endorsement was “a personal and private decision,” adding, “I’m here with the person who I am voting for for United States Senate, and that is Mike Rogers.”

Rogers said he was “honored” to have earned Stevens’ vote and described the endorsement as being about opposition to hate rather than partisan politics.

The GOP nominee said Stevens made one point particularly clear during their conversation: “Remember, I'm still a Democrat.”

El-Sayed brushed aside the endorsement on Sunday, telling reporters he remains focused on voters and substantive policy differences.

“At the end of the day, I actually don't think about Haley Stevens,” he said. “I'm just less interested in the politics of it all than I am in the policy of it all.”

During his speech in Iowa, Trump criticized El-Sayed, again referring to the Democrat's middle name, Mohamed, and saying that he had "qualified for the ballot by campaigning and soliciting signatures at [a] radical mosque."

The accusation comes from reports El-Sayed solicited for support inside Islamic centers which allegedly call the U.S. the "House of Satan" and call for violence toward Jewish people. Newsweek reached out to El-Sayed's campaign for comment regarding that accusation via email on Sunday evening.

Trump previously called El-Sayed a "Muslim radical" and said he was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, which El-Sayed has denied belonging to.

"To the people of Michigan: Mohamed El-Sayed is bad news. He's a Muslim radical. He's a Muslim Brotherhood member, even though he denies it," Trump said in a video posted to Truth Social last month.

While El-Sayed has called Israel's conduct in Gaza a genocide and has advocated for ending U.S. offensive and defensive military aid, he has also denounced antisemitism and praised Judaism and Jewish Americans, arguing that criticism of Israel should not be conflated with hostility toward Jews.

Trump then went on to say on Sunday that El-Sayed was "worse with Blacks than he is with Jews," appearing to refer to polling. Recent numbers have shown that the Democrat has substantial Black voter support.

A Data for Progress poll conducted October 23–25 found that 82 percent of Black likely voters supported El-Sayed, compared with 15 percent backing Rogers.

That compares with the 87 percent of Black Michigan voters who supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, according to CNN exit polling. Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin received 85 percent of the Black vote in her successful 2024 campaign against Rogers. While Harris lost at the top of the ticket, Slotkin narrowly won her race despite the slightly lower Black support.

Recent polling has generally shown El-Sayed ahead of Rogers, although the size of his advantage varies.

A CNN/SSRS poll conducted October 20 to 27 found El-Sayed leading Rogers 49 percent to 42 percent among likely voters. The survey of 768 likely voters had a margin of error of 4.7 percentage points.

A Marist survey conducted October 15 to 18 showed a considerably closer contest, with El-Sayed at 50 percent and Rogers at 48 percent among likely voters. That two-point difference was within the survey's 4.3-percentage-point margin of error.

An earlier YouGov poll also showed a narrow race, with El-Sayed at 49 percent and Rogers at 48 percent.

The surveys were conducted before Stevens' endorsement of Rogers, meaning they do not measure whether her late defection will affect the race.

Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Anthony Murray and Steve Mollman.