Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said he has no plans of leaving the Democratic Party amid his continued efforts to work across party lines to avoid a government shutdown and to seek the “truth” in rhetoric and policies.
The Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania joined Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures” and was asked by Bartiromo if he would consider leaving the party as she accused “real extremists” of hijacking the Democratic Party with their policy and “the way they talk.”
No, no, I’m not going to switch,” Fetterman told Bartiromo. “But I’m just going to be an independent voice in the Democratic Party. I’m not going to be afraid of people.”
Elected in 2022, Fetterman ran on a strong progressive platform, advocating for policies such as legalizing cannabis and criminal justice reform. He even received the endorsement of self-described Democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
However, since being elected, Fetterman has dropped the progressive label, and he has often bucked his party by joining Republicans on key votes such as for Trump’s cabinet appointments of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
He was also the only Democratic senator to vote in favor of the GOP-led stopgap measure, which failed, but would have averted a government shutdown. The 2025 fiscal year ends on Wednesday, October 1, and to ensure the 2026 fiscal budget ensures protection of health-care programs such as the extension of Affordable Care Act enhanced tax credits.
“Independent thinking and views wherever I happen to believe the truth, regardless if it’s the Republican or the Democratic voice,” Fetterman said. “In this truth right now, it’s firmly on Israel through this, and it’s also always wrong to shut our government down. That’s where my voice is, and if that puts me as an outlier, that’s where I am.”
Fetterman also shared that he would not take part in the use of divisive and inflammatory rhetoric that many of his colleagues use to describe Republicans.
If you want a Democrat that’s going to call people Nazis or fascists or all these kinds of things, well, I’m not going to be that guy,” Fetterman said.
He’s repeatedly been one of the few Democratic voices to show support for Israel, having visited Israel at least twice. In his latest visit in March, gifted him a silver-plated beeper, a nod to an Israeli military attack. Fetterman defended his staunch support for Israel, saying that the United States must continue to support Netanyahu.
“Now it’s endgame,” he said. “And this war does have to end, and that’s why [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s been forced to do this and go into Gaza City. That’s why I’m going to follow Israel, just as I’ve done for now going on two years.”
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