Mavericky Sen. John Fetterman slapped down calls for him to become a Republican due to his penchant for breaking ranks with Democrats, arguing that he’d be “terrible” as a GOPer.
The hulking, hoodie- and shorts-wearing senator was adamant that he hasn’t changed, but his party has, and that he’s refused to lurch to the left on issues such as the border and avoiding government shutdowns.
“These once-common views have become increasingly toxic in the Democratic Party, a result of catering to the fringe and agitated parts of our base,” Fetterman candidly wrote in a Washington Post op-ed Thursday.
“My values have not changed, and I have always turned to those kinds of ideals that defined being a Democrat,” he added. “I remain strongly pro-choice, pro-weed, pro-LGBT, pro-SNAP, pro-labor and even pro-rib-eye over bio slop.”
“I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.”
Fetterman’s brutal assessment of the Democratic Party and his insistence that he isn’t leaving it anytime soon comes in response to quiet GOP efforts to flip him.
A piece from Politico this week about Republicans’ efforts to convert him exacerbated Democratic fears that he may soon leave the party and force them into a higher climb to take control of the Senate.
The Pennsylvanian vowed to remain an independent voice and disciple of bipartisanship in the Senate. He also trashed Democrats for being too anti-President Trump.
“My party cannot simply be the opposite of whatever President Donald Trump says,” he stressed. “The president could come out for ice cream and lazy Sundays, and my party would suddenly hate them.”
Fetterman touted some of his bipartisan accomplishments, such as pushing to unfreeze $1 billion of federal dollars for transportation projects in his state, bipartisan mental health legislation he’s worked on, and unveiling legislation for home repair assistance.
The Keystone State Democrat had been the party’s sole Senate flip of the 2022 cycle and initially emerged as a progressive darling. But that vibe shifted following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack against Israel.
Despite his rhetoric and reputation, Fetterman is ideologically more liberal than about a third of the Senate Democratic caucus, according to an analysis from GovTrack.
Still, the fact that he’s willing to split with his party on key issues such as the multiple government shutdown fights since last fall, as well as his staunch defense of Israel, has put him in the crosshairs of some Democrats.
“I don’t know what Sen. Fetterman’s going to do,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), a rival of Fetterman’s, told CNN this week. “I know that Pennsylvanians voted for a Democrat to represent them in the United States Senate.”
“I think he needs to honor that and continue with his service to Pennsylvania, and, hopefully, get back to what he was elected to do and reflect the will of the people.”
While Fetterman is up for reelection until 2028, there’s already talk in progressive circles about primarying him should he vie for a second term.
