Washington Examiner senior writer Joe Concha praised Sen. John Fetterman’s (D-PA) appearance on The View on Wednesday, where the senator dismissed criticism of his efforts to end the government shutdown.
Fetterman is one of eight democrats who voted with Senate Republicans on a vote to end the government shutdown, and the bill has been sent to the House of Representatives. Fetterman defended his decision on The View to reopen the government, brushing off criticism from Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) as he finds “a way forward” for the nation.
Concha said Fetterman would rise to become the Democratic Party’s new leader “in a normal world,” citing how the senator represents Pennsylvania, “a purple state.” Because of this, Fetterman represents people across the political spectrum and “can’t afford” to lean too politically left, like Newsom or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
“To answer your question, no, he can’t be the leader of the party because he is certainly not extreme enough, right? He’s obviously a guy who’s principled and tries to go from the middle and tries to get things done, and that’s a big no-no in the Democratic Party, apparently,” Concha said on Fox News’s Fox & Friends First.
Concha also criticized cohost Sunny Hostin’s treatment of Fetterman on the show, noting that she criticized Fetterman for reopening the government and allowing several federal employees to receive a paycheck, while Hostin earns “$2 million per year.” However, he said Fetterman handled Hostin’s criticism “perfectly,” and suggested the senator not return to the show.
FETTERMAN ON SHUTDOWN: ‘THIS WAS A FAILURE’
Fetterman said on Tuesday that “no one really knows” who is leading the Democratic Party. He added that his vote to reopen the government “reflected” his values, and he’s “OK” if that puts him at odds with his party.
Washington Examiner’s Lauren Green said Monday that Democrats faced “a lot of pressure” as the shutdown continued. She added that Democrats acquired a promised vote for Affordable Care Act subsidies next month, but this doesn’t guarantee passage in the Senate, nor whether the House will pick it up for a vote.