"The Democrats don't even think you're worth a used condom, but that's about where you are," Carville, 82, said of Stevens.
Page B51From§Eachthe evening edition — 2 November 2026
THE DEFECTION
Stevens defects, gets ousted, and finds a home with the party whose leader called her rival a jihadist.
As it ran on the front
In October, Rogers went on "Meet the Press" to deny he had ever called El-Sayed a "terrorist," the kind of denial a man issues only after the word has already traveled far enough to need one.
The D is survived by what happened the same day the video went up: the Michigan Democratic Party removed Stevens from its ranks, two of her aides resigned rather than stay on, and her House colleague Debbie Dingell watched her defend herself to CNN's Anderson Cooper and called it "one of the most painful interviews I've ever watched." Gavin Newsom, asked about the endorsement on a midterm preview broadcast, allowed that it was "sub-optimal" — the word a governor reaches for when the one he means is heavier and he has a future of his own to protect. James Carville skipped the caution and told reporters the party didn't think Stevens was "worth a used condom." Ugly, and also plain malarkey dressed as candor: Carville wasn't disputing anything Stevens had done, only pricing it in public.…
…(cont) The Republican side set a different price. Trump, asked outside Air Force One, said he'd "love to have" Stevens join the party whose nominee she'd just endorsed. Then he flew to Iowa and told a rally crowd, repeatedly, that El-Sayed — the man Stevens's defection was supposed to be about stopping — is a "jihadist."
The D is preceded in death by whatever this feud was officially about, and survived, awkwardly, by whatever it's actually about now: a Senate seat Michigan decides Tuesday, in a race the Guardian says will play an outsized role, not the whole role, in deciding which party runs the chamber.
In lieu of flowers, show up Tuesday. Somebody is still counting.
“They didn't just lose a congresswoman, they got handed a receipt: endorse the Republican, get kicked out, and the same week the man she ran against gets called a jihadist on a stage in Iowa by the guy courting her. That's not a defection, that's a trade — her seat at one table for his insult at another — and El-Sayed's the only one left standing where the actual election is. Two days out, that's the whole Senate, decided by who throws who under the bus fastest.”
“Inviting a sitting Democrat to switch parties is just addition, it's what winning coalitions do — Reagan Democrats, remember those? And nobody's "attacking" anybody, the president is just describing the field using— okay, "jihadist" isn't exactly a policy position, that one's... that doesn't sound like something I should defend. But the Carville line, THAT's the real scandal here, comparing a sitting congresswoman to a — I'm not finishing that sentence either.”
Earlier in this story
- The Big Ten capped player pay at $49 million under a bill the president sold from a Neyland suite above a stadium selling half-price beer. By Gus · the evening edition, 1 November 2026
The receipts
Sen. Ted Cruz claimed Wednesday that Americans could die if Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive Democratic nominee for US Senate in Michigan, wins next week's midterm election, prompting a fresh round of denunciation of Republicans' Islamophobic bigotry. “If Abdul El-Sayed becomes the senator for Michigan, there is absolutely nothing to stop…
Stevens has demanded El-Sayed condemn an outside group's ad and apologize for comments he made about Israel. El-Sayed said Stevens is "intent on relitigating" their primary.
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) on Sunday called Rep. Haley Stevens's (D-Mich.) interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, where she defended her endorsement of former Rep.
Democrats are running an average of 11.5 points ahead of their 2024 baseline across 2026 special elections MultiState Elections, 2026 special-election tracking
Abdul El-Sayed resists efforts from Haley Stevens to corner him on Israel - as it happenedThis live blog is now closed. Sign up for the Breaking News US email James Talarico, the Democratic nominee in Texas, attacked his Republican opponent Ken Paxton for cancelling some of his final rallies before the midterm election. “No one’s going to Ken Paxton’s rallies, so he’s canceling them and hoping Elon Musk will buy his seat for…
The tensions between the former Democratic primary candidates have drawn in other Michigan Democrats as the party hopes to secure a critical Senate seat.
In special elections, Democrats have retained 10 points more of their previous turnout than Republicans Ballotpedia, 26 February 2026
Michigan Democrats in disarray after Haley Stevens endorses Mike Rogers and gets kicked out of partyDETROIT — Michigan Democrats on Sunday faced an extraordinary political display of dysfunction just two days before the midterm elections: a Democratic congresswoman endorsed the Republican nominee for Senate, was kicked out of her own state party, and watched two of her top aides resign in protest. Rep. Haley Stevens’s (D-MI) stunning…
President again took aim at progressive Senate candidate and lauded Haley Stevens for endorsing Mike Rogers Donald Trump railed against Democratic US senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed at a campaign event in Iowa Sunday, repeatedly referring to the Michigan progressive as a “jihadist”. Trump’s comments aimed to influence a neck-and-neck race…
Some Democrats worry that the blowup between the two former primary rivals is imperiling their hold on the seat.
Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections on Tuesday, candidates in key races — and President Trump — are making their closing arguments to voters.
Democrats are running an average of 11.5 points ahead of their 2024 baseline across 2026 special elections MultiState Elections, 2026 special-election tracking
Democrat Haley Stevens endorses Abdul El-Sayed’s Republican rival Mike RogersEndorsement was met with backlash from the party, condemning Stevens for her ‘betrayal’ Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who lost the Michigan Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed his Republican rival, Mike Rogers, in an extraordinary rebuke of her party’s nominee on the eve of the midterm elections. Her endorsement came in…
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and Representative Haley Stevens traded sharply critical comments Friday, escalating intraparty tensions in Michigan’s pivotal Senate race.
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul el Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), his former primary opponent, are again sparring over Israel just days before voters decide one of the most closely watched contests of the 2026 midterm elections. The dispute centers on an advertisement attacking U.S.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. published an extensive diatribe on social media on Friday denouncing radical Islam and calling on Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul el Sayed to condemn the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Big Ten approved a rule on Wednesday that limits each school's investment in athlete NIL deals to $49 million, as the Senate-approved college sports bill awaits a potential House vote
President Trump on Sunday said he would "love to have" Rep. Haley Stevens join the Republican Party after she endorsed Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers (R) over the nominee, her former Senate Democratic primary opponent Abdul El-Sayed (D). Reporters spoke with the president outside Air Force One, flanked by House Speaker Mike…
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Sunday said Rep. Haley Stevens's (D-Mich.) endorsement of Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers (R) over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed was "sub-optimal." Newsom spoke on "Decision Desk ’26 Midterm Preview" for an interview with 2WAY in collaboration with The Hill and NewsNation, where he was asked about the…
· Joe Manchin says he’s not OK with Abdul el Sayed becoming senator, says Mike Rogers will ‘do a great job’ from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· Rogers: I never called El-Sayed a 'terrorist' from the morgue, 26 Oct 2026
· Man who heckled El-Sayed is son of Republican adviser who was paid for ‘influencer marketing’ from the morgue, 20 Oct 2026
· 'He's Desperate': AIPAC Begins Spending Against Abdul El-Sayed to Boost Mike Rogers from the morgue, 10 Oct 2026
· Hurricane Isaias threatens Georgia vs. Alabama SEC showdown as Trump plans Tuscaloosa visit from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· Possible hurricane threatens Alabama-Georgia game Trump slated to attend: ‘Nightmare scenario’ from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· Trump reveals he will return to Alabama in a week to watch Crimson Tide face Georgia from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Trump says he will attend Georgia-Alabama football game in Tuscaloosa from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Trump says he will attend Alabama vs Georgia college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Trump set to attend Tennessee-Texas football game in Knoxville from the morgue, 23 Sep 2026
· Trump stumps for Protect College Sports Act at Texas-Tennessee game: ‘Bipartisanship for the first time in a while’ from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· No. 1 Texas escapes Tennessee with thrilling SEC victory as President Trump watches on from Neyland Stadium from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· Audio problems plague ABC for Texas-Tennessee after warning of possible disruptions with Trump at game from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· Trump met with roaring cheers at University of Tennessee-Texas Longhorns college football game from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· Air Force One does majestic flyover before Trump attends highly anticipated Texas-Tennessee game from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· Trump trolls reporter: I don’t want fake news ‘like you’ from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· SEC crowd greets Trump with massive cheers ahead of Tennessee-Texas showdown from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· Trump to attend major Texas vs. Tennessee college football game — and coaches are worried about disruptions from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· Tennessee fans excited for Trump's attendance at game vs Texas: 'I hope he stays the whole game' from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· Trump to attend Texas-Tennessee football game as he pushes college sports bill from the morgue, 24 Sep 2026
· Cruz: Trump should sign college sports bill live on ESPN's 'College GameDay' once passed from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· Cruz faces rowdy crowd at College GameDay while promoting the Protect College Sports Act from the morgue, 12 Sep 2026
· GOP hopeful removes ‘Pro-Trump’ mention from campaign slogan in deep-red seat from the morgue, 23 Sep 2026
· Tennessee uses unusual alcohol tactic to get fans there early with President Trump attending Texas showdown from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· Live updates: Trump attends Texas-Tennessee football game in Knoxville; US, China to cut tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· Trump wants the Protect College Sports Act passed. What to know about the legislation. from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026
· We Need to Protect College Sports from Ted Cruz from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· This week on the Hill: Senate eyes final passage on college sports bill from the morgue, 20 Sep 2026
· College football pressure index: Four coaches, two QBs and one coordinator under the gun in Week 4 from the morgue, 20 Sep 2026
· Senate votes to move forward with Protect College Sports Act from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Kirk Herbstreit defends having Ted Cruz on 'College GameDay' from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Senate passes ‘Protect College Sports Act’ with sweeping bipartisan vote from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· Trump touts Senate passage of Protect College Sports Act: 'Really big deal' from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.