Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) on Thursday was dismissive of speculation he’ll switch parties but warned that his Democratic colleagues have strayed far from their roots.
Fetterman penned an op-ed in the Washington Post detailing his concerns with the Democratic Party and raising fears that “once-common” views on immigration, Israel, Iran, and government shutdowns have been sacrificed to appease the party’s “fringe and agitated” factions. Still, the swing-state senator once again reiterated his commitment to remaining a blue-dog Democrat amid growing rumors he’ll transfer allegiance to the Republican Party.
“Being an independent voice that works with the other side to deliver for Pennsylvanians might put me at odds with the party that I have stayed committed to and have no plans to leave — but I will continue to put the commonwealth and the country first,” Fetterman wrote. “Plus, I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.”
In a party that has largely condemned President Donald Trump over the Iran war and increasingly denounced Israel as a genocidal nation, Fetterman has attracted growing notice for his support of the Middle Eastern democracy and stance that the war is warranted to prevent the Iranian regime from building nuclear weapons. His support for certain immigration policies backed by Republicans, such as the Laken Riley Act, which targets illegal immigrants accused of committing violent crimes for swift deportation, has likewise set him apart from most Democrats, including some from his home state who called him a “traitor” to the party on Sunday.
“My values have not changed, and I have always turned to those kinds of ideals that defined being a Democrat. I remain strongly pro-choice, pro-weed, pro-LGBT, pro-SNAP, pro-labor and even pro-rib-eye over bio slop,” Fetterman wrote this week. “Once-common views have become increasingly toxic in the Democratic Party, a result of catering to the fringe and agitated parts of our base. The party is fractured by their demands.”
Though he has repeatedly denounced speculation he’ll leave Democrats, Fetterman has long pressed colleagues to embrace a more bipartisan approach in Congress, and even became the first Democratic senator to join Trump’s Truth Social platform in 2024.
“I am not sure why the problem is with me and my reasonable views,” Fetterman said during a Fox News interview last month. “I think the Democratic Party has [been] incredibly impossible to resist their worst urges and the excesses that cost us the elections back in 2024.”
In the same interview, Fetterman conceded he was not “necessarily the popular guy” among his Democratic colleagues, which he called “strange,” citing his ability to flip the pivotal Pennsylvania Senate blue in the 2022 election.
PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATS REBUKE ‘TRAITOR’ FETTERMAN AS PARTY THREATENS PRIMARY CHALLENGE
“I can’t be a Republican because in many other areas I disagree on that. So whether if I’m politically homeless or whatever, but I’m staying in my party,” he said. “My voting record actually reflects that I am a Democrat.”
Fetterman is not up for reelection again until 2028.