'The View' host Sara Haines lauds Haley Stevens' 'brave' endorsement of Mike Rogers

"The View" co-host Sara Haines defended Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., during a discussion on Monday about the Democrat's decision to endorse Michigan Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers over Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed, pushing back against critics who called the endorsement a betrayal.

Co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro both argued that Stevens endorsed Rogers for the wrong reasons, with Hostin saying, "Shame on her," if the move was motivated by a bruised ego. Stevens said on Sunday that it was El-Sayed's "anger" and "lack of kindness" that led her to endorse Rogers.

"I disagree. And I actually think that, although theres a lot of Islamophobia here that are muddying the waters, there are deep concerns about his beliefs," Haines said. "Campaigning with Hasan Piker, you could not put enough room between me and that man. And we went after the Republicans for going around with Nick Fuentes, also problematic." 

"We have got to know when we denounce someone," she continued. "And if crossing party lines can be an act of conscience for Liz Cheney, I dont know why the automatic response was that this was betrayal somehow." 

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Haines, a registered independent, said Stevens' decision was "brave."

"Integrity is not just backing your party when you support your party," the co-host added. "The real test is backing them when it costs you something. I keep hearing, 'Donald Trump is so dangerous,' and that is true, but that cant end every conversation we have about what were willing to accept on our own sides." 

"Honestly, the hateful rhetoric and demeaning language, I dont have to agree with a candidate on everything at all, and compromise is absolutely necessary, but you cannot loan your loyalty and support out to a party," Haines continued. "They must earn it every single time. And thats why this was actually a very brave thing for her to do."

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Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff told in a statement, "Hainess defense is hard to square with the facts. I was one of the early Democrats who said El-Sayed needed to put real distance between himself and Hasan Piker. And he did. He said Piker did not speak for his campaign, stopped campaigning with him, and reportedly even called him directly to say his rhetoric was hurting the campaign and counterproductive. That all happened well before Haley Stevenss last-minute endorsement." 

"So Haines is using an issue El-Sayed already addressed to excuse this wild switch-up, while openly acknowledging the Islamophobia on the other side and then instantly brushing past it," he added.

Shroff argued that Haines was treating hate from one side as disqualifying, but not the other, and said, "That is not principled, balanced, or reasonable. It is just a glaring double standard."

Co-host Whoopi Goldberg brought up the timing of the endorsement as Haines argued that El-Sayed had also told Stevens he did not want her to campaign with him.

Navarro reiterated that she believed Stevens' dec