Pennsylvania Democrats lashed out at Sen. John Fetterman following his surprise video appearance at the Republican midterm convention on Wednesday night, with Rep. Chris Deluzio saying Republicans can “have him.”
But even as the party struggles with whether to denounce Fetterman for the move, his counterparts in the Senate have, by and large, remained quiet.
Senate Democrats are looking to flip four seats in the upper chamber with just weeks to go until the November midterms — and a party swap by the Pennsylvania Democrat would likely put that effort in jeopardy.
One Democratic operative who works with Democratic lawmakers said that senators are likely concerned that publicly criticizing their colleague could only push him away.
Trending
“You can’t go around yelling at your coworkers if you have to turn around and do something with them,” the operative said. “That is literally the work of looking toward a governing majority or minority, depending on how this all shakes out in November.”
Another campaign operative granted anonymity to speak candidly told The Washington Sun that he would advise Democrats to start building a “Fetterman-proof majority.”
“If I was a Senate Democrat, I would do anything to flip five seats instead of four,” the operative said. “I would do anything to make sure we can have a Fetterman-proof majority.”
Fetterman said in a statement to The Sun shortly after his video appearance that he had no plans to switch parties, saying “should the Senate flip in November, I will still be the 51st vote that I ran on.”
But his participation in the GOP convention follows months of speculation that he could be considering a move to the other side. The senator, who was endorsed by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) during his 2023 run for office, has increasingly voted with Republicans on issues like government funding and the Iran war this year and has more frequently voiced his disdain for the left wing of the party.
“I’m always going to stand with America. I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life,” Fetterman said in his videoed convention appearance.
His appearance also followed reporting in The Wall Street Journal last week that his frustration with the party has been mounting. Fetterman has become exasperated with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and once wrote “I truly don’t care” when aides informed him that Schumer was organizing a special conference call for Democrats, according to the Journal report.
Schumer urged Fetterman to stay in the Democratic caucus while speaking to reporters in July, praising him as a “very good” member of Congress. His comments came after Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans would “welcome” Fetterman into their conference, adding that he’s had “conversations” with the maverick senator about making the switch.
“The people in our caucus very much like him and respect him, and we’re a big tent party. We can have a lot of different views in that party,” Schumer said.
But even as senators — like Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont), who told Politico “it’s a waste of energy to get spun up” about Fetterman — refuse to dump on their colleague, Pennsylvania Democrats have piled criticism on the senator.
Rep. Brendan Boyle, who is reportedly mulling a challenge for Fetterman’s seat in 2028, said in an interview with MSNow on Thursday that he “hopes and prays” Fetterman will stay true to his word and remain a member of the Senate Democratic Caucus, but stands by his comments calling him a “disgrace.”
“Obviously, there are all sorts of concerns about Senator Fetterman. I think that’s probably going to continue,” Boyle said. “He has always been, throughout his career, a guy who will do the performative stuff. The things that will get him the most attention.”
And Rep. Madeleine Dean, another Pennsylvania Democrat, also expressed concern about Fetterman’s convention appearance. At a Democratic counterprogramming event in Dallas, Dean said she was “disappointed” by Fetterman’s “stunt.”
“We can see in his work ethics that he’s just not present. He doesn’t participate much at all in his own committees, let alone attend them,” she said. “From the ground, from suburban Philadelphia, my constituents are livid. Those who went out and knocked doors for him — they are absolutely livid.”
Author
Contributor
