Haley Stevens, former Democratic hopeful for Senate in Michigan, pulled the plug on a Detroit press conference alongside Mike Rogers on Sunday after a heckler accused her of being a “traitor” for endorsing the Republican over Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
The media fiasco came just after Stevens’ Chief of Staff Justin German and much of the rest of Stevens’ team resigned and endorsed El-Sayed for Senate, saying in a statement that they feel “shocked and heartbroken by Congresswoman Stevens’ decision to support Mike Rogers.”
Standing with Rogers in Detroit on Sunday after attending an event at Perfecting Church, Stevens was grilled on her decision to support a candidate “who stands so firmly with some of the policies that you stand so firmly against.”
“Well, nothing is perfect, nothing is perfect — yeah,” Stevens said as a heckler off camera shouted her down.
“Haley Stevens is a traitor!” the unidentified man said.
At that, Stevens was hurriedly whisked away with Rogers and stopped answering questions.
Tensions have been mounting between El-Sayed and Stevens all week after the congresswoman called on the Democratic nominee to denounce an “antisemitic” ad that linked U.S. military aid to Israel and prices spiking in the grocery store. The ad came from an outside group, and El-Sayed said he disagreed with its message but criticized Stevens for “relitigating a primary that ended three months ago.”
In the lead-up to a scheduled unity event on Sunday with Stevens, El-Sayed asked the congresswoman to stay away from future campaign events ahead of Tuesday’s midterms. “I would rather not distract from the key issues of this campaign,” he said Saturday.
The rift between the two apparently irreparable, Stevens abandoned her support of the Democratic ticket and endorsed Republican opponent Rogers on Sunday, leading to widespread outcry from within her party and resignations from her longtime staff.
“As you may have seen, our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul, said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away. And he’s right, and that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today,” Stevens said in an Instagram video. “I don’t belong in Abdul’s campaign … I’m just letting you know where I am. I’m still a very proud Democrat. I still very much believe in everything I voted for and said, and I’ve worked really hard, and will continue to do so in all the ways life’s opportunities afford.”
Responding to the about-face from his former Democratic opponent on Sunday, El-Sayed told press, simply, “None of this matters.”
