Democrat ‘betrayer’ says she was helping party in bizarre interview

US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has reported a record donations surge after fellow Democrat Haley Stevens sensationally backflipped to endorse Republican Mike Rogers on the eve of the national midterms on Monday.

Meanwhile, Stevens, during a bizarre interview on CNN, claimed her intent was to help the Democratic Party and blamed El-Sayed’s “anger”.

Stevens, who was defeated by El-Sayed in the contest for the Democratic nomination for the US Senate in a contentious primary earlier this year, yesterday withdrew her former endorsement for him and threw her support behind Rogers, who she had previously heavily criticised.

In a video posted on X, Stevens, a current Congress representative for Michigan whose term expires in January, said her support was unwanted by El-Sayed.

Though the reversal was labelled a “betrayal” by senior Democrats, El-Sayed has refused to comment on it, saying he had given no thought to Stevens and was instead focused on issues facing the electorate.

Now, his campaign has claimed that after Stevens’ defection, they raised $US2.4 million ($3.43 million) from donations - a one-day record.

Multiple polls still show El-Sayed maintaining a narrow lead over Rogers in what is one of the most crucial contests of the mid-terms.

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Meanwhile, Stevens appeared on CNN to speak to reporter Anderson Cooper, but did not directly explain her decision to endorse Rogers, in a tense interview.

“The deal is, Anderson, is that, you know what, this is a weight off my shoulders,” she said.

“I’m being straight with everybody, you know, I’m trying to help the Democratic Party.”

She claimed she was voting Democrat “up and down the ballot” and repeated her claims that her support had been rejected.

“Abdul said, no thanks, don’t be a part of this. That’s fine,” she said.

She said El-Sayed had been getting “angrier and angrier”, though did not specify any particular incidents which sparked her late-game reversal.

“I was trying to help, I endorsed him,” she said.

“There are so many Democrats who want to vote for our Democratic nominee, and they’re being told hey, this is a party you don’t belong in.”

Democrat Representative Debbie Dingell, who has been a close ally of Stevens, said she had spoken with the former senate candidate the night before and that Stevens had told her she’d continue to support El-Sayed.

Asked during her interview what had changed, Stevens didn’t directly answer.

“I would just say I had some time to think,” she said.

“I was there and just alone with my thoughts, I was writing things out.”

She also did not answer a question regarding whether her previous criticism of Rogers as a “rubber stamp” for Trump still stood.

Appearing on CNN afterwards, Dingell, who appeared shaken, said the Stevens interview was one of the most “painful” she had seen.

While Democrats have been near-united in their condemnation, Stevens was praised by US President Donald Trump as “brave” and somebody he’d love to have in the Republican Party.