Sen. John Fetterman’s (D-Pa.) open-minded stance toward President-elect Trump is raising questions about his motives and angering some of his fellow Democrats.
After Trump’s victory in November, Fetterman emerged as a critic of his own party’s messaging while signaling a willingness to embrace some of the recent administration’s policy ideas.
The Pennsylvania senator was praised by Trump himself after the two men met last week. Fetterman had already become a lightning rod among progressives thanks to his support of Israel, and his recent actions further deepen his polarizing reputation in the party, where some are positioning him for a greater national presence.
“I wouldn’t 100 percent rule out the possibility that there may be, or at least some, consideration of other or future possibilities,” said Eddie Vale, a longtime Democratic strategist.
Others are even less sure why Fetterman took on some of his recent positions.
“It is impossible to say with certainty what Fetterman’s motives are. I do political analysis, not psychoanalysis,” said Norman Solomon, a progressive strategist and founder of the activist network RootsAction. “But obviously he moved to the right.”
Less than a week before the inauguration, the session at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club is sparking speculation about what role Fetterman might play in Trump’s second term. Shortly after the meeting, Trump heaped praise on Fetterman, calling him “a fascinating man,” distinguishing him from most Democrats who are still keeping their distance.
Ford O’Connell, a Republican strategist, suggested that Trump was strategizing on bipartisanship in finding a Democrat on Capitol Hill. “If you are willing to put country first, I am willing to work with you,” he said of the president-elect’s mindset. “That’s what he projected.”
Both populist leaders have been looking for common ground before January 20th. A Trump transition official confirmed to The Hill that the two had discussed areas of an agreement on Israel, the U.S.-Mexico border and the future of steel production, as first reported in the Washington Examiner.
Although the meeting took place at Trump’s request, Fetterman’s involvement is equally notable. A product of America’s most critical battleground, he convinced a politically diverse working-class coalition to support his 2022 Senate campaign.
Fetterman’s victory was seen by some Democrats as a guide to how they could rebuild trust among low-income and non-college-educated voters. He did this successfully by telling voters he was not a “progressive,” a distinction that won him broader support nationwide. Trump, who himself has changed the nature of republicanism, seemed to have picked up on this nuance. “He is a sensible person. He is neither liberal nor conservative,” the recent president said of the 1.90 meter elevated senator.
While Fetterman resisted the progressive label, he turned left on a number of policies, drawing support from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and allies; Many left-wing Democrats saw him as poised to take on the role of the working class in the upper chamber by prioritizing things like union jobs and an escalate in the federal minimum wage.
But his recent moves have been met with confusion. During his recent race against doctor Mehmet Oz, Fetterman made it clear that he would not be another “Manchin” Democrat, citing former Sen. Joe Manchin (IW.Va.), who blocked key areas of Biden’s agenda. But some Democrats already see him more like Manchin and more like former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), who got her start with the Green Party before becoming a reliable voice against Biden’s more liberal policies.
To long-time observers, however, Fetterman has always been something of a chameleon. When he first launched a run for Senate in 2016, “he ran as a younger, bigger, tattooed Bernie brother,” said Christopher Nicholas, a Pennsylvania-based GOP consultant and editor of the PA Political Digest newsletter. He compared Fetterman’s style to a “dog and pony show.”
“He read the room carefully and knows there’s a new sheriff in town,” Nicholas said. “He is very adept at shocking people and then coming back with a retort when they seem shocked. That’s his approach.”
The lack of clarity about Fetterman’s ambitions or his end goal makes him intriguing, sources on both sides of the aisle say. Some sympathetic to Trump see him as one of the most critical emerging figures as confirmation hearings for Trump’s Cabinet nominations begin in the Senate.
Fetterman is seen as a likely “yes” vote in favor of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump nominated to head the Department of Health and Human Services. Fetterman’s personal health history could influence his decision after he works to recover from a recent stroke.
But as questions arise about Fetterman’s underlying agenda, Vale, the Democratic strategist, says it’s worth taking the senator at face value.
“[The] “The simplest answer is exactly what he says,” Vale said.
“He’s a senator from a 50/50 state who voted for Trump twice, so he’s trying to have a foothold in both worlds,” he added.
