President Donald Trump is cheering on Rep. Haley Stevens after the Michigan Democrat threw her support behind Republican Mike Rogers in the state's Senate race.

Talking with reporters once the news was out, Trump said he planned to call Stevens to thank her. "She did the right thing," he said.

Trump praised the move as a brave one. He also said he would be glad to see her switch parties and join the Republicans.

He has never met her

Trump is a close ally of Rogers. Even so he said he does not personally know the congresswoman. "I don't know her, I've never met her, but I have great respect for her," he said.

Earlier in the day he had already offered a hint of his view when he described Stevens as a "highly respected Democrat."

A shake-up in Michigan

Stevens lost the Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed. She has now turned away from him to support his Republican opponent. Her chief of staff along with her communications director reportedly quit after the announcement.

Before the endorsement her fiance Jason Turkish had suggested she might pull her backing from El-Sayed over campaign ads she viewed as antisemitic.