Donald Trump-backed Mike Rogers’ extraordinary move comes after Stevens was asked not to attend a campaign rally with El-Sayed, who narrowly defeated her in August.
Stevens has previously criticized El-Sayed for his comments on Israel, but recently said she supports him and that he would get her vote. On Sunday, she made a U-turn and attended a church service in Detroit with Rogers.
“Our Democratic candidate for Senate said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away. And he is right. That is why today I am endorsing Mike Rogers in the Senate race,” Stevens said in a video statement released on Sunday.
According to the AP, Haley Stevens’ longtime chief of staff has defected, and more defections are expected soon.
However, President Donald Trump is rejoicing. “It’s called courage, and few other people have it in them like Haley Stevens does,” he wrote on Truth Social.
The 41-year-old doctor and public health expert Abdul El-Sayed is perhaps the most talked-about candidate in the US election. He has presented himself as an opponent of war who wants to remove the influence of big business from politics and expand the Medicare health insurance program.
Michigan is one of the swing states ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections and plays an important role in the Democrats’ goal of taking control of the Senate from the Republicans.
Correction: An earlier version contained an incorrect description of defections from Haley Stevens’ staff.
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