DETROIT, MICHIGAN — Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., threw her support behind three of the Trump administration’s signature economic policies in an interview with Fox News Digital — a rare break from her party that underscores growing bipartisan support for Trump’s economic agenda.
Stevens endorsed the administration’s approach to data center energy costs, public equity stakes in strategic industries, and loan guarantees for critical mineral extraction.
That’s a notable shift from a congresswoman who has voted against Trump over 80% of the time.
“If federal dollars are used, like what Mr. Elon Musk got from the federal government, so potentially this current administration could be right that ownership stakes should be on the table.”
Stevens told Fox News Digital the Trump administration is “charting the right course” on collaboration between ratepayers and data center developers, public stakes in high-growth industries, and loan guarantees for critical mineral extraction.
The Trump administration has increasingly pursued direct equity stakes alongside grants and loans to steer capital into industries it considers strategically important — semiconductors and critical minerals chief among them.
The administration converted $8.9 billion in federal funding into a 9.9% nonvoting stake in Intel. The Pentagon took a 15% stake in rare-earth producer MP Materials. Both investments have increased in value since the government took them, although those gains are not realized until the shares are sold.
Stevens rose to national prominence during her primary contest against Abdul El-Sayed, who has since become the Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan. She cast herself as a more moderate alternative to El-Sayed, whom she accused of unfairly singling out Jewish Americans.
Though the primary feud between the two was intense, Stevens endorsed El-Sayed following a narrow primary defeat. She signaled that while she may agree with Trump on some economic policies, she still sees his broader agenda as dangerous for America.
“I personally think [Republican nominee] Mike Rogers is going to continue to rubber-stamp Donald Trump’s chaotic agenda,” she said after endorsing El-Sayed.
The White House isn’t particularly warm toward Stevens either.
“It’s rich that Haley Stevens claims to support President Trump’s proven economic agenda after voting against the President over 80 percent of the time in Congress — including on the Great One Big Beautiful Bill, which is the largest working-class tax cut in history.”
White House spokesman Kush Desai delivered that response when asked about Stevens’ interview.
Stevens threw her support behind the Trump administration’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge — a collaborative framework bringing together utilities, data center developers, cooperatives and state governments to keep energy prices down amidst the massive buildout of AI infrastructure.
“I think collaboration is always a promising first step and path forward,” Stevens told Fox News Digital when asked about the Ratepayer Protection Pledge.
She pointed to her work on the bipartisan auto-rescue task force in the Obama administration as proof that Republicans and Democrats can coordinate large-scale federal resources at the local level.
Stevens told Fox News Digital she is “really fired up about critical minerals,” arguing that America makes itself vulnerable to China by failing to increase domestic production.
She listed loan guarantees for mining firms — a policy currently being carried out by the Trump administration — as something she supports.
Looking forward, Stevens highlighted a few areas she believes are fertile ground for Republicans and Democrats to work together: standing up to America’s enemies and growing the manufacturing economy.
“[Rep.] French Hill, who’s a Republican from Arkansas and a great congressman, French Hill and I have passed considerable pieces of legislation to stand up to America’s enemies, to stand up to our detractors, and that continues to be an area where I believe that we will see more bipartisan collaboration,” she told Fox News Digital.
Stevens serves as bipartisan caucus chair of the manufacturing caucus. She said working with colleagues on the other side of the aisle to grow the manufacturing economy has been “one of the areas of great success” for her in Congress.
