Sen. John Fetterman has been a Democrat all his adult life, and he continues to mostly vote along party lines.
There are, however, a few issues on which he has voted with Republicans.
Along those lines, Fetterman has also recently revealed one āred lineā that, if the Democrats ever crossed it, would force him to renounce and leave his party: open hostility toward Israel.
The Pennsylvania senator addressed that red line again this week in a hallway interview with CNN.
āIāve always expressed my dismay at the way the Democratic Party continues to turn its back on Israel,ā he said.
āSo Iāve said that publicly, like thatās my red line. If the Democratic Party becomes officially anti-Israel, then thatās when I would force myself out,ā he said.
A CNN panel discussed Fettermanās comments on Friday.
āIāll help him pack his bags. Good riddance. This is a this is this is the biggest non-threat I think Iāve ever seen,ā Luke Thomas, host of the āMorning Kombatā podcast, said.
āI realize that, I mean, to your point, you said this has been telegraphed,ā he continued.
āYou have seen evidence of him in his voting record, not merely on Israel, on other issues too, for example, on the government shutdown and not getting the ACA (Affordable Care Act) subsidies,ā he continued.
He went on to criticize Fetterman over other positions he has taken politically before revealing the results of a Quinnipiac University poll released this week saying that in his home state, he has a 77 percent approval rating among Republicans versus a 19 percent approval rating among Democrat voters.
āThat is what a Latin American president at the end of his term is getting,ā Thomas added.
Earlier this week, Fetterman turned heads when he launched a joint fundraising effort with a Republican senator.
Pennsylvaniaās two U.S. senators, despite representing opposing parties, have teamed up to create a joint fundraising committee ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 campaign cycle.
The committee, called Common Ground PA, has been registered with the Federal Election Commission.
FEC records showed that Common Ground PA listed four joint fundraising PACs: Every Vote PAC, Pennsylvania Honor, Fetterman for PA, and Friends of Dave McCormick.
āFetterman is listed as the leadership PAC sponsor for Every Vote PAC, while McCormick is named as the leadership PAC sponsor for Pennsylvania Honor,ā local media reported, citing information contained in the filing.
āThis is a donor-driven effort,ā Mike DeVanney, a McCormick campaign spokesman, told The Center Square.
āThis group of donors value the collaboration exhibited by Senators McCormick and Fetterman for Pennsylvania and want to support both of them,ā Devanney added.
Fettermanās repeated disagreements with the Democratic Partyās progressive wingāparticularly over U.S. support for Israel and the growing influence of Democratic Socialistsāhave fueled speculation that he could eventually switch parties as Republicans and Democrats continue to battle for control of the Senate.
The fundraising collaboration is drawing criticism already from the hard left.
āSo so bad,ā Fox News analyst and lefty Jessica Tarlov remarked on X.
Rick Wilson, the one-time pretend Republican who sprinted to Democrats following President Trumpās first election victory, speculated that Fetterman is āgonna flip.ā
Fetterman has repeatedly distanced himself from the Democrat Partyās rising socialist wing, arguing that members of what he described as the ādirtbag leftā no longer belong under the Democratic banner.
Speaking during an interview at the Kennedy Centerās Mark Twain Prize event, Fetterman said the recent success of candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America reflects the rise of a political movement that he believes is fundamentally different from the mainstream Democratic Party.
āIt was a really it was a really big night for the dirtbag left. You know, last week, without a doubt,ā he said.
