Just before noon on Sunday, I sat at my desk staring in a mix of disbelief and denial at a video of Rep. Haley Stevens arriving at Perfecting Church in Detroit, practically arm-in-arm with Mike Rogers, the Republican running for U.S. Senate in Michigan.
Well, this isn’t what it looks like, I thought to myself. Surely it would be downright unthinkable for the congresswoman, who was almost the Democratic nominee herself, to be doing a photo op with the Republican nominee in the final days of one of the most consequential Senate races of the most consequential midterm election of my lifetime. A bad look, for sure, but this can be explained, I reasoned. This had to be some bizarre coincidence or uncharacteristically bad timing on the part of Stevens and her staff. I understood why other people were upset over it, but that’s only because they didn’t know the congresswoman.
She had assured me, her friend, that she had not wavered from supporting the Democratic nominee in his race.
I have known Haley Stevens for years. I’ve long considered her a friend and an ally and a public servant who, whatever political differences there may be between us, has always acted in service to the greater good. So, as I watched the unfolding campaign drama in Michigan the weekend before Election Day, I decided to reach out to Haley on Saturday afternoon and remind her — because there are times those of us in politics need such encouragement — that campaign noise is exactly that: just noise. And the bigger picture is what matters.
“Hey friend, I have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes and I’m sure there are rather complicated private factors at play,” I texted her. “I just hope everyone in this situation understands that what happens in the next several days is going to be viewed in the light of a future Supreme Court vacancy. And I hope we’re all working toward that light being as favorable as possible.”
Haley responded almost immediately with a video of a speech she gave in early October in support of the Democratic nominee, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (while blasting Mike Rogers), and wrote underneath it: “Still stands. Promise.”
That’s all I needed to hear. Because Haley Stevens is true to her word. She’s a straight shooter. It’s one of the many reasons those of us who are friends with her adore her, even in disagreement. Such was my faith in her that nothing else, online or off, mattered after she said that. I wrote back “I trust you,” and I meant it.
Haley replied: “Thank you. Just remember — I’m still a rep and navigating my people over tricky waters right now: Anything I do on any campaign is all volunteer. And that’s how I entered politics — volunteering to elect the people who are going to protect our rights. And freedoms.” (MS NOW reached out to Stevens for comment on these texts, but she did not reply.)
This exchange was going through my mind less than 24 hours later as I watched Haley appear with Rogers on camera. She had assured me, her friend, that she had not wavered from supporting the Democratic nominee in his race. I was so certain that the appearance at Perfecting Church was a giant misunderstanding that I waited patiently for the inevitable clarifying statement. Instead, moments later, her video endorsement for Rogers was posted online. My heart dropped into my stomach.
Many have claimed that Haley did this out of pettiness over El-Sayed’s campaign snubbing her, but that sort of self-destructive behavior doesn’t track with her typical political savvy.
In the 24 hours since, everyone in the world of Democratic politics has attempted to make sense of this. Many have claimed that Haley did this out of pettiness over El-Sayed’s campaign snubbing her, but that sort of self-destructive behavior doesn’t track with her typical political savvy. Others have offered theories on everything from the influence of her new fiance to a mental health breakdown to possible corruption. None of it makes sense to me or anyone who has called her a friend. It simply doesn’t compute.
Meanwhile, many Republicans are shamelessly rushing to her defense, claiming that she’s choosing country over party, that this is a brave act of bipartisanship. The problem, of course, is that nothing in the ideology of Mike Rogers aligns with the congresswoman’s track record of pragmatic politics, let alone her forceful attacks on his well-earned reputation as a rubber stamp for President Donald Trump. He is stridently against abortion rights and anti-LGBTQ; she has firmly been a champion of abortion rights and access and LGBTQ equality. He seems dead set on blocking universal healthcare; she has always advocated for the Affordable Care Act. He’s a stooge for corporate leeches; she’s always been proudly pro-labor.
The closest they come in terms of policy is national security. But even there, the gap between them is substantial. Rogers has been a stalwart voice for Trump’s ongoing, failing war in Iran, perhaps the most disastrous foreign policy misadventure in American history (which is saying something). Meanwhile, she has consistently voted against military actions in Iran, refusing to endorse young people being sacrificed for a pointless war.
Too many folks on the far left have been quick to dismiss Haley as an out-of-touch moderate, but her record says quite the opposite. I’ve always viewed her as a center-left Democrat who has a big heart that’s tempered with a strong pragmatic streak. In a political environment held hostage for many years by those on both extremes of the ideological spectrum, I’ve long admired her for her commitment to finding common ground, being willing to swallow her pride in order to build relationships in disagreement, and remaining true to her values, no matter the public pressure. Where and when we’ve disagreed, however strongly, never once have I doubted her integrity.
So to watch pundits on the right and left claim this was either inevitable or somehow a principled stance is absurd.
I do not know this person who blatantly lied to me shortly before betraying her values in service to a carbon-copy Trump propagandist, the kind of politician Haley Stevens has always loathed.
I reached out to her shortly after the endorsement: “I don’t know what to think regarding the church appearance with Mike Rogers this morning. I’m very confused, and it would be great to get some clarification. So many of us have gone to bat for you, and it’s very difficult in this moment to understand what you’re doing.”
She never responded.
It feels like I’m living through a bad dream while still naively hoping there’s a rational explanation that will reflect the person I once knew. I am disgusted with her cynicism and cowardice in this moment. God forgive me for trusting her.
Although I have no doubt El-Sayed will defeat Rogers on Tuesday, this incident has been a needless distraction from the work of countless organizers and volunteers across Michigan who have worked tirelessly to hold this Senate seat for working-class families and to oppose the disastrous policies of the Trump administration.
This victory should be about their efforts and commitment to the American dream, not the actions of someone who once claimed to care about them.
The post Haley Stevens didn’t just betray her party — she let down friends like me appeared first on MS NOW.
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