WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance said Monday that Rep. Haley Stevens’ endorsement of Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers is likely to help him in his race against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.
Vance spoke with reporters at Joint Base Andrews after campaigning for Republican candidates in New York and Ohio. Asked about Stevens’ decision, he said it would “certainly” benefit Rogers.
“Whether you’re a reasonable Democrat, a Republican, a conservative, an independent or just a liberal who loves the United States of America, El-Sayed is a crazy person and Mike Rogers is a patriot,” Vance said.
He added that Stevens’ backing could give some voters who might not usually support a Republican a reason to consider Rogers. Vance called Rogers “a good guy” and said he thought Michigan voters viewed El-Sayed as someone who would be bad for the state.
Stevens endorsed Rogers on Sunday, criticizing El-Sayed as she did so. She said he had told her she was no longer welcome in his campaign.
“And he’s right, and that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today,” Stevens said. “I don’t belong in Abdul’s campaign.”
Both candidates laid out their cases for running in opinion pieces published Monday, the day before the election. El-Sayed said he was running so that no one in Michigan would be left behind, and pointed to more than 700 campaign events held in over 120 cities. He said residents he had met were struggling under what he called the Rogers-Trump agenda and wanted change.
Rogers, a former Army officer and FBI agent, accused El-Sayed of associating with Hasan Piker, a left-wing streamer and activist. Rogers said El-Sayed had brought to Michigan someone who had said “America deserved 9/11,” and alleged that El-Sayed had accepted donations from people connected to terrorist organizations.
Stevens has also criticized El-Sayed’s association with Piker, previously saying Piker’s extremist views should be condemned.
During a livestream in May, Piker discussed Treasury Department subpoenas and said investigators were likely targeting Neville Roy Singham and organizations he had financed. Piker named the ANSWER Coalition, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and CodePink among them.
A report cited in the article said Singham had directed $285 million to six organizations. Those included $22.44 million to the People’s Forum in New York City, $1.33 million to CodePink, $68.7 million to Justice and Education Fund Inc., $1.098 million to BreakThrough BT Media, and $16.76 million to Tricontinental Ltd. The report also said the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation share office space and leadership with the People’s Forum.
After returning to Joint Base Andrews on Monday afternoon, Vance had completed his campaign stops in Ohio and New York, where he urged voters to support several Republican candidates, including Jon Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Donald Trump Jr. also appeared with him.
A few hundred supporters gathered at each of the two airport hangars where Vance spoke. He urged Republicans to vote in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Meanwhile, El-Sayed and Rogers held their own rallies in Michigan, making final appeals to voters.
