During a crowded Iowa event, former president Donald trump highlighted the surprising move of Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens to back Republican Senate hopeful Mike Rogers. Trump claimed he had never met Stevens but praised her for saying “what few people are willing to say.” He added, “I’d love her to join the Republican Party, actually, I think that could happen maybe,” signaling openness to a full party switch.
Trump’s sharp attack on Abdul El-Sayed
After lauding Stevens, Trump turned his attention to Abdul El-Sayed, the Muslim candidate who defeated Stevens in Michigan’s Democratic primary. The former president labeled the progressive nominee a “jihadist,” continuing a string of Islamophobic references. He mused, “Can you imagine, we’ll have to put him through metal detectors…,” echoing a stereotype often used against Muslims. El-Sayed fired back with a quip, “I’ll go through a metal detector if you’ll sit for a lie detector. Simple. I got nothing to hide. You’ve got so much to hide.”
Stevens’s unexpected endorsement of Rogers
Stevens, who lost the Democratic primary to El-Sayed, shocked her party by endorsing Rogers on Sunday, a move that drew both condemnation from Democratic leaders and praise from Trump. When CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked if she still wanted Democrats to control the Senate, Stevens answered emphatically, “I absolutely do.” She also defended her shift by saying, “I’m making a decision here… I woke up this morning clear-eyed, fresh and focused on what was in my heart, and that’s that.” The New York Times and Siena University poll released ahead of the midterms showed El-Sayed leading Rogers 53% to 42%, a gap that existed before Stevens’s defection.
Parallel Democratic rallies and broader midterm backdrop
While Trump ranted in Iowa and later in Kansas, Democrats staged their own gatherings. In Los Angeles, California’s gubernatorial hopeful Xavier Becerra appeared with Governor Gavin Newsom and former vice-president Kamala Harris. Becerra, the son of Mexican immigrants, promised to confront “dangerous authoritarianism” and highlighted his experience as a former health secretary. Senator Alex Padilla stood nearby, underscoring the historic nature of a potential first Latino governor in modern California. Meanwhile, Republican Senate leader Dan Sullivan of Alaska told CNN he would accept the election result despite a recent legal challenge, and Connecticut’s anti-Trump senator Chris Murphy was hospitalized after a stroke but expected a full recovery.
Economic promises and trade talk
At a Kansas rally, Trump revived his signature pledge to give every adult American $5,000 if Republicans secured control of both the House and the Senate. He also warned that the nation was “hotter now than ever before,” tying climate concerns to his political narrative. In a separate remark, Trump claimed his administration had a “concept” of a new trade deal with Canada, echoing recent discussions between U.S. officials and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney about easing tariffs that have become a talking point in border states like Michigan and Maine.
Overall, the evening’s events framed the upcoming midterm elections as a clash between “America-first” Republicans and a Democratic coalition that, according to the latest polling, leads in all seven key battleground states. The mixture of personal attacks, policy promises, and high-profile endorsements underscores how tightly intertwined the campaign trail has become with entertainment-style rallies.
