Sen. John Fetterman has become increasingly concerned over the direction of the Democratic Party regarding some domestic and foreign policy positions taken by a growing number of members.
The disagreements with those members have led many to speculate that he will ditch his party and become a Republican.
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Fetterman himself even said recently that if some of the Democratic Party’s official positions change on issues he cares deeply about, he would leave the party.
But he would become an “Independent” if it came to that, not a member of the GOP.
“I’m not going to be a Republican, and I would just remind anybody that I’ve been very clear on that,” Fetterman said in an interview with Meet the Press NOW this week.
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“I don’t think that Republican Party wants a pro-choice, pro-gay, trans communities, federal union, and you look at my voting records,” Fetterman, who backs his party well over 90 percent of the time, continued.
“I disagree with my party on some issues like Israel, for example,” he said.
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“But you know, I am a Democrat, and if someone is frustrated in the Democratic Party, I would be, I would be frustrated with someone like Bernie Sanders,” he added.
Fetterman also insisted cutting off aid to Israel “is not my red line” after over 100 House Democrats voted in favor of cutting funding recently.
“But it’s not something I’m surprised for overall. You know, the one thing that I’ve read that was was more now Leader [Hakeem] Jeffries put out a letter saying that he’s going to vote against that, and what I read in Axios, they said that that brought maybe 30 to 40 people along with him on that,” Fetterman said.
“So if you start reaching now, maybe approaching 150 Democrats. Now, then, that’s outrageous,” he went on.
“We’re the Democratic Party. You know, where is the only country in that region that that has our kinds of values and protects women and minorities and allows people to to live their lives?” he said.
“You know, free speech and for all those things. That’s just Israel,” he said.
To that point, Fetterman took a potshot at the party’s left-wing “democratic socialists” this week.
“Israel keeps killing Hamas members. @DemSocialists, cry harder,” he wrote in an X post tagging the Democratic Socialists of America.
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His post came after the Israeli Defense Forces posted they had eliminated several Hamas terrorists.
“ELIMINATED: Abdallah Jahja, a terrorist in the Naval Force of Hamas’ military wing who infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 Massacre,” the IDF’s post stated.
The post added that “2 additional Hamas terrorists were eliminated,” including “Mohammed Al-Hawari, a cell commander in Hamas’ Zeitoun Battalion” and “Sabhi Saqallah, observation operative in Hamas’ Zeitoun Battalion.”
“The terrorists advanced terror attacks targeting IDF troops & Israeli civilians,” the IDF said.
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Fetterman told Fox News Channel’s Kayleigh McEnany last week that “these DSA people are deeply anti-Israel” as well as “deeply anti-America.”
The Pennsylvania lawmaker added that he “will always be the last man standing within the Democratic caucus in the Senate that’s pro-unapologetically standing for Israel.”
“Israel is our special ally, and I’m always proud to stand with Israel,” he said.
Last week, Fetterman said he would formally change his affiliation if opposition to Israel becomes an official part of the Democratic Party’s platform.
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It is the first time he has laid out a scenario under which he would leave.
Fetterman’s colleagues are skeptical he can win a Democratic primary. One Democratic senator, who asked to speak on background so he could be candid, said he was worried about Fetterman making a surprise party switch.
“I am concerned,” the senator told NOTUS.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
