John Fetterman, the former lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania’s Junior United States Senator, has ruffled the feathers of some Democrat colleagues for positions on President-Elect Donald Trump and some of his nominees. Fetterman, who defeated Trump’s hand-picked candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz in November 2022, was once viewed as a favorite of the more progressive wing of the Democratic party. Now, as they prepare for Donald Trump’s incoming second administration, Fetterman has expressed his willingness to work with his political opponents. Sen. Fetterman went as far as to say he would consider supporting Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth in his confirmation bid, and said the same about Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI.
Some members of the media have questioned Fetterman’s loyalty to the Democratic party, which prompted members of his party to defend him. The New York Times wrote about Fetterman’s “cozy” relationship with some of the incoming administration’s proposed team. But Fetterman hasn’t shied away from his defense of Trump’s nominees, nor has he refrained from criticizing those from his own party for “rooting” for Donald Trump’s failure in his second term. Fetterman, speaking to Fox News at the time, accused those members of his party of “rooting against the nation” for their extremely harsh rhetoric on Trump and his nominees. Fetterman took his statements one step further, calling on Democrats to “chill out” over their reactions to Trump.
Not every Democrat has maligned Fetterman for his bipartisan shift, and some came to his defense, complimenting the Senator for expressing his willingness to ensure a smooth transfer of power. Fetterman is no stranger to facing criticism from his opponents. His mental acuity was highly questioned prior to his election victory in 2022 after he suffered a major stroke on the campaign trail, prompting concerns for his physical and cognitive health.
Fetterman was quick to denounce the anti-Israel wing of the Democratic party over the summer and was vocal in his support of American Jews and Israel. In late 2023, he made headlines for denying his supposed progressivism, breaking from his party. Fetterman made further news for even traveling to Israel to meet with Benjamin Netanyahu, earning sharp rebukes. Fetterman also broke from his party when he disagreed with Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign’s use of the word “fascist” to describe Trump. “It’s not a word I would use,” the Senator had said at the time. Fetterman pointed to the harsher rhetoric as a reason for Trump’s decisive victory in Pennsylvania, considered the most important of the swing states.
NEW: Senator John Fetterman says Trump won because he protects the American way of life, says Trump is not a fascist like Kamala Harris claimed.
Fetterman says he knows a lot of Democrats in Pennsylvania who voted for Trump.
"A lot of Democrats, especially in my state that I… pic.twitter.com/krDD1ors5V
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 22, 2024
