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Sen. John Fetterman says Democrats must change their anti-Trump strategy

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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who has broken away from far-left Democrats multiple times, spoke during Tuesday’s episode. “Impulsive” podcast About how his party should change its strategy.

Fetterman lamented that the modern state of politics is a polarized mess between two parties in a “race to the bottom.” But he said he was working to serve Americans as a Democratic senator in a state that ultimately voted for President Donald Trump’s re-election in 2024.

“Some Democrats are actually running on ‘f— Trump’ right now — so honestly, that’s literally in some of their ads,” he said.

He criticized the idea of smearing one’s political opposition as “fascist”, warning: “And that idea – and if you say ‘they’re fascist’ to someone who’s on their side, that means the people I know and love and vote for them must be fascists. They are fascists. And they’re not. They’re good people. They don’t love our country any less than they do. It’s just having different views and, you know, trying. Finding a way forward in a deeply divided country.”

JOHN FETTERMAN’S DECLINE FROM HEROIC TO VICTORIOUS REVEALS THE DEMOCRATS’ HARD LEFT TURN

Senator John Fetterman argued that Trump supporters are just as patriotic as Democrats and should not be dehumanized. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

“I refuse to do that,” he said of political tribalism and name-calling. “People forgot that we are all Americans and that we actually need each other.”

He went on to recall how he was “so pumped” to be invited to dinner with Trump in 2025.

“I was excited. I said, ‘Hey, great. We have an invitation. Of course. I can’t wait. This is going to be great.’ You know, I love chatting,” Fetterman said.

This bipartisan support for Trump has no equivalent in the Democratic Party, he said.

WHY ARE TRUMP AND THE GOP BACKING JOHN FETTERMAN, WHO INSISTS HE WILL REMAIN A DEMOCRATIC?

Senator John Fetterman walks through the U.S. Capitol on his way to a meeting.

Sen. John Fetterman has been criticized by his fellow Democrats for breaking with them on message and policies. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“There are no Democrats reaching across the aisle right now,” he said, summing up Democrats’ message as “You want to pay your bills, F— Trump, and you want to burn him down.”

He said the truth is more complicated: “I don’t just represent Democrats. I represent all 13 million Pennsylvanians.”

Towards the end of the episode, he concluded by calling for a better level of political discourse.

“Democrats are mad at me because the Democratic Party and the base increasingly want a ‘F— Trump’ kind of thing,” he said. “So, my votes, my values, are reflected in the votes. But overall, I’ll be an example that people can say, ‘They’re going to at least do this in a respectful way,’ and that can be something reasonable or common sense in the midst of the madness that’s out here.”

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