Twenty-four hours ago, Michigan Democrats breathed sighs of relief. Jim Clyburn had agreed to come to Detroit to reach out to disaffected black voters who still had not embraced Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Party leaders had convinced Haley Stevens to join the event, apparently by promising that El-Sayed would denounce a viciously antisemitic ad published by Rebellion PAC and promoted by Cenk Uygur. Stevens announced the event yesterday afternoon on X/Twitter as well as the pending announcement from El-Sayed:
On the eve of the eve of the eve of our BIG and important election, a unifying moment has arrived, our democratic nominee for U.S Senate disavows the Rebellion PAC ad made by Hasan Piker’s uncle that claims Jews are responsible for America’s economic woes. We have learned from party leaders and emissaries, as reported in the news media that he has. On Sunday I will join with the Great Democratic leader, Jim Clyburn and Dr El Sayed for a church service in the beautiful city of Detroit. The political coalition of Black and Jewish voices that have carried Michigan and this country through so many storms to the righteous path of liberal democracy and equal opportunity for all will ring out. Full statement here:
— Haley Stevens (@HaleyforMI) October 30, 2026
From the statement:
"I have learned from Democratic Party leaders and emissaries, as reported in the news media, that Dr. El-Sayed has heard the deep concerns of the Jewish community and is now, for the first time in his campaign, formally condemning that ad for what it is. That is why I accepted Congressman Clyburn's invitation to appear with Abdul on Sunday. I urge voters and the press to confirm it with Abdul directly."
How did that work out? Exactly as everyone except Clyburn and Stevens expected. Rather than confirm that El-Sayed would renounce the despicable ad, El-Sayed implied that Stevens was doing AIPAC's work in "relitigating a primary that ended three months ago":
#MichiganSenate CNN: Abdul El-Sayed criticizes Haley Stevens and AIPAC in a new statement “Congresswoman Stevens seems intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago.” https://t.co/x1cHRqzetL
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) October 30, 2026
So much for Clyburn's influence, eh? One has to wonder whether Clyburn will bother to show up tomorrow after this snub. Did El-Sayed actually agree to this and renege, or did his handlers mislead both Clyburn and Stevens about his intentions?
At first, this looked like Stevens may have gotten suckered by El-Sayed and Clyburn. Today, though, it looks more like a plan by Stevens to flush El-Sayed out and force him to choose antisemitism or partnership. Now that he has chosen ...
... Stevens appears to have used it as a springboard to attack El-Sayed. While she posted her announcement, Stevens was already talking to the New York Times about El-Sayed, and not in a good way:
Representative Haley Stevens of Michigan stood up from her dining table, where the tuna fish and matzo ball soup sat half-eaten, and let loose about the moment she grew disillusioned with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.
It happened this month, during her state’s first Senate debate between Dr. El-Sayed, who defeated her in a bitter Democratic primary in August, and former Representative Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee. Dr. El-Sayed, an outspoken critic of Israel, was asked if Iran or Israel posed a greater threat to the United States. He dodged the question, calling it a “ridiculous hypothetical.”
This was unacceptable to Ms. Stevens.
“He’s a good speaker,” she said during the lunchtime interview on Friday at her home in Birmingham, Mich., raising her voice and rising from the table. “He’s an orator. He is gifted. Then how does that happen? Come on!”
Stevens said she wouldn't withdraw her endorsement of El-Sayed at that time, but that was before El-Sayed accused her of working for the Joooooooos:
Ms. Stevens said late Friday that she was not sure if the church event was still happening, or even if she was still invited. She said that no one from Dr. El-Sayed’s team had called her on Friday. She also said she had not retracted her endorsement of him and did not plan to.
“I haven’t had time to digest this,” she said. She added, “I don’t think this is a melodrama.”
Stevens revealed that she is considering converting to Judaism as part of her upcoming marriage to Jason Turkish. Turkish publicly endorsed Mike Rogers and even appeared at a campaign rally with him this week in response to the Rebellion PAC ad. Stevens was still steaming about it as well when talking with the NY Times reporter:
Several times in the interviews, she returned to her anger over the online ad, made by Rebellion PAC, a left-wing group that backed Dr. El-Sayed, and his refusal to publicly disavow it. The El-Sayed campaign has said it did not make and is not responsible for the ad.
“Maybe it’s how you fund-raise, maybe it is what you want people to believe, but the reality is that we are not going to say that the cost of groceries is because of Jews and the Jewish state,” Ms. Stevens said. “We’re not going to say we don’t have health care because of Jews and the Jewish state.”
Turkish is also speaking out to criticize not just El-Sayed but the Democrats who refuse to confront him:
Rep. Haley Stevens' fiancé, Jason Turkish, says Jewish Democrats are deeply troubled by the growing dispute between Stevens and Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Speaking on @foxandfriends, Turkish says longtime Democratic families are struggling with how to respond as El-Sayed faces criticism over his views on Israel and his handling of an ad Stevens has condemned as antisemitic. The confrontation comes after El-Sayed's campaign tells Stevens to stay away from his events, throwing a planned Sunday appearance with Rep. Jim Clyburn into uncertainty. Stay up to date with the latest headlines and breaking news — download the FOX News app: https://t.co/ISpW9Fc0R3
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 31, 2026
Speaking on @foxandfriends, Turkish says longtime Democratic families are struggling with how to respond as El-Sayed faces criticism over his views on Israel and his handling of an ad Stevens has condemned as antisemitic.
The confrontation comes after El-Sayed's campaign tells Stevens to stay away from his events, throwing a planned Sunday appearance with Rep. Jim Clyburn into uncertainty.
Turkish says Stevens remains on "Team Dem", for now. That does not necessarily mean that she will remain on Team El-Sayed, however. After having been misled by both, will Stevens openly break with El-Sayed? They set her up to cover for an unrepentant antisemite, so it would be arrogant to claim Stevens owes loyalty to her party in this situation.
Next: Will Clyburn show up to sell an antisemitic Arab Islamist to black voters in Detroit? Clyburn is playing with fire now that Stevens will no longer be there to give him political cover. It's not as if the Arab and black communities have any affection for each other in Michigan anyway. El-Sayed had plenty of time and opportunity to fix that before now, and he clearly has chosen to embrace radical Islamists and antisemites like Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur rather than move an inch in anyone else's direction. El-Sayed has chosen poorly already, but Clyburn has enough time to consider whether he's being used in a battle that consigns black voters in America to the back of the political bus to benefit Palestinians instead.
Stay tuned!
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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