John Fetterman signals he would consider quitting Democratic Party if they make ‘troubling’ majority leader pick

详细摘要

Fetterman also warned his party not to turn the next two years ‘into a circus of constant hearings’ about getting ‘payback’ on the Trump administration

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Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman signaled that he would consider quitting the Democratic Party if the caucus elected Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen as majority leader, citing disagreements over U.S. policy toward Israel.

Fetterman was asked Saturday on Fox News whether there was a “red line” that would prompt him to walk away from his party if it moved further to the left.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Fetterman said in a clip highlighted on X by journalist Aaron Rupar. “It would be troubling if my caucus elects someone like Van Hollen that has really made his name being very anti-hostile to Israel, you know. If you are going to be angry or hostile towards any countries in the region, why not make that, you know, Iran or Hezbollah or Hamas as well too?”

He added: “Why, both in the House, now in the Senate, now their first instincts are to punish Israel and to withhold these kinds of aid. Why? Why isn’t your first instinct to say, ‘Let's hold Iran accountable?’”

Fetterman also warned his party not to turn the next two years “into a circus of constant hearings” about getting “payback” on the Trump administration.

As reported by The Independent, Fetterman has grown increasingly isolated within his caucus over his staunch support for Israel's military actions in Gaza, his opposition to measures aimed at ending the war in Iran and his votes with Republicans to end last year’s government shutdown and confirm several of President Donald Trump’s nominees.

While Fetterman has previously maintained that he will not become a Republican — pointing to his support for labor unions and LGBTQ+ rights — his breaks with the party have alienated local Democrats.

An August New York Times poll showed that only about two in 10 registered Pennsylvania Democrats viewed him favorably, down from 74 percent in 2024.

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