Never one to fall into uncritical lockstep agreement with fellow Democrats, Sen. John Fetterman recently offered a series of hard truths to colleagues within his own party.
As the Daily Mail reports, in a candid conversation with Tara Palmieri of Puck, Fetterman has suggested that unless Democrats begin a process of reflection and adjustment, particularly with regard to President Donald Trump, they may lose the ability to secure the support of significant portions of the electorate in the coming years.
From his unconventional sartorial selections to his willingness to sit down for a Mar-a-Lago meeting with Trump, Fetterman is far from the typical Democrat Party lawmaker.
The Pennsylvania senator is now taking aim at certain factions on his own side of the aisle, suggesting that far too many Democrats have “turned their back” on white male voters, suggesting that the damage may be irreparable.
Encapsulating what he sees as his party's approach, Fetterman said, “Men's the problem. Men are to blame. Or their masculinity is toxic. Or unless you're able to conform to our very strict kinds of definition of what we think's appropriate, well, then, hey, I'm going to find an alternative,” and he went on to declare that large numbers of white male voters have done just that with their support of Trump.
Fetterman continued, saying, “I think [Democrats'] primary currency was shaming and scolding and talking down to people and telling them, 'Hey I know better than you,' or 'You're dopes,' or 'You're a bro,' or 'You're ignorant,' or you know, 'Don't you – how can you be this dumb?'”
Suggesting that Trump supporters are fascists is, according to Fetterman, another critical error on the part of Democrats, adding, “I know, and I love people that voted for Trump, and they're not fascist, you know, they don't support insurrection and those things. And if you go to an extreme and you become a boutique kind of a proposition, then you're going to lose the argument. And then we have done that.”
Fetterman has drawn the ire of some within his own party due to his independence on a series of key issues, including illegal immigration and support for Israel.
Specifically, Fetterman served as a co-sponsor of the Laken Riley Act, a measure that expanded the government's ability to detain immigrants convicted of crimes, and he subsequently voted for the bill's final passage.
Though many within his own party took issue with some of the Act's provisions, Fetterman stated that it should never be a controversial proposition to detain an illegal immigrant who has committed criminal offenses.
Fetterman has also remained unwavering in his support for Israel in the wake of the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, a position that regularly puts him at odds with the left flank of his party.
Evidence of Fetterman's openness to new solutions for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was found when the senator, unlike other Democrats, did not express outrage at Trump's recent suggestion that the U.S. take control of Gaza, with Fetterman saying, “I think it was more to kind of shake things up and start a very more honest conversation.”
Though Fetterman has been praised in some corners for his willingness to engage in bipartisan dialogue and for his support for the confirmation of Trump attorney general pick Pam Bond, that is not to say that he does not still side with his Democrat colleagues with great frequency when the rubber hits the road, as conservative skeptics have pointed out.
As The Hill notes, Fetterman recently announced that he would vote no on both Tulsi Gabbard, nominated to serve as Trump's director of national intelligence and on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., tapped to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, solidifying his reputation as one of the Senate's most vexing enigmas.
