The president of the United States, Donald Trump, assured this Sunday that the Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens "is in danger" after she announced her support for the Republican Mike Rogers instead of the candidate from her own party, Abdul el Sayed, whom she described as someone who "is a jihadist".
"I would say that Haley Stevens is in danger. She is very brave. El Sayed is a jihadist. He is a Muslim Brotherhood type," Trump stated before the media, underscoring the risk that, in his view, the legislator takes with this decision.
The president also stated that he is willing to get in contact with the congresswoman to acknowledge her gesture: "I could call her and thank her," he said, referring to the announcement made this Sunday, just two days before the midterm elections in which El Sayed and Rogers are competing for a Senate seat for Michigan.
Trump defended Stevens's bet on Rogers as "the smart thing to do." In his view, "El Sayed would destroy our country, so I think that it was fantastic (...). I would love to have Stevens in the Republican Party," he stressed, opening the door to a possible switch of parties by the congresswoman.
Before these statements, the Republican leader had posted a message on social media in which he praised Stevens's "bravery." "Wow. This is big! (...). With what she has done, she has shown great loyalty, almost unprecedented, to the great people of Michigan. It is called bravery and few people have it like congresswoman Haley Stevens!", he wrote, highlighting her gesture over party discipline.
The occupant of the White House also underscored that Stevens is "a very respected Democrat" and recalled that she "lost by a narrow margin in the primaries" to El Sayed. According to him, "she has many followers and is respected by the people of Michigan, especially by our African American and Jewish population," highlighting her political weight in the state.