Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has revealed the stark truth over a flurry of rumors that claimed he was planning to defect to the Republican party.
Fetterman told Semafor Monday evening that the speculation was “amateur hour ****.”
The Pennsylvania Democratic senator has enticed the rumors after several people were under the impression he was cozying up to Donald Trump.
“It’s not gonna happen. And even if I wanted to do that, that is a rocket sled to Palookaville to try to switch.
“I would make a pretty bad Republican”, he said.
Instead, he said, it was quite the opposite as he was merely trying to stir up positive relations with the opposition to facilitate progressive policy discussions.
He went on to tell Semafor “If they think, ‘oh, it’s going to be like a Manchin or a Sinema play,’ that’s just not true, and that’s not going to happen”, in reference to previous senators who left the Democratic Party but did not caucus – meaning he did not attend a meeting – with Republicans.
Earlier this month, Fetterman took to X to state: “I’m not just a Senator for Democrats ‒ I’m a Senator for all Pennsylvanians.”
His response came after he made a controversial visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to work with Republicans on the Laken Riley Act – a bill that requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain certain non-U.S. nationals (‘aliens’ under federal law) who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting” – as well as his support for the Israeli government.
During the height of the war on Gaza, Fetterman called out South Africa for bringing a case of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), calling it an “appalling” move.
He also declared his support for Israel in September 2024, when he spoke on the war to NBC News: “I want to be very clear, I thought what Israel chose to do about blowing up pagers and then walkie-talkies, and then after targeting and eliminating membership and leadership of Hezbollah – I absolutely support that.
“In fact, if anything, I love it.”
Fetterman also maintained that people need to “chill out” in the wake of the 2.0 Trump era – Democrat supporters specifically, he said, needed to stop freaking out, as expressed to ABC News in December 2024.
“I’m not rooting against him”, he said ahead of Trump taking office.
“If you’re rooting against the President, you are rooting against the nation”, adding that he never wished for any U.S. President to fail.
On Monday, the Democrat – known for his relaxed and informal style – was spotted showing up to Trump’s inauguration wearing a casual ensemble of shorts and a hoodie.
Ultimately, the senator said his party affiliation would not waiver stressing he was “not going to change” – a feeling he privately disclosed to colleagues in leadership, reported Semafor.
