The Democratic senator John Fetterman’s decision to address the Republican National Committee (RNC) midterm convention via video sparked a furious response from some members of his party. Fetterman’s surprise appearance – and praise of his fellow Pennsylvania senator, Republican Dave McCormick – raised fresh questions over his loyalty to, and future inside, the Democratic party. In a statement later on Wednesday, Fetterman insisted that he would not switch parties.
But his appearance at the Republican event nevertheless triggered a wave of Democratic criticism. I’ve been all over not just my district of Pennsylvania, trying to help us flip the most competitive congressional races. And John Fetterman is nowhere to be found.
The former representative Conor Lamb – whom Fetterman beat in the party’s 2022 primary race for US Senate – said the video had “all the persuasiveness of a North Korean newscast”. Lamb is one of several Pennsylvania Democrats who say they are weighing running for Senate in 2028, when Fetterman will be up for re-election. Lamb said party officials in the state had “already assumed Fetterman is a non-factor” in the race.
Commentator Stephen A Smith also weighed in, accusing Fetterman of having spat in the faces of Democrats. McCormick publicly defended him amid the latest round of Democratic backlash, and John Thune, the US Senate majority leader, told reporters recently that he and other Republican senators had had “conversations” with Fetterman and “would welcome the opportunity” to have him join the GOP. Democrats need to pick up four GOP-held Senate seats in November’s midterm elections to regain the majority.
If Fetterman were to join the Republican party, Democrats would need to pick up another seat to have control of the chamber.
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