Fetterman urges putting 'country over party' in backing Trump Iran strikes

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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., accused fellow Democrats of putting party over country in their opposition to President Donald Trump’s strikes against the Iranian regime during an interview Saturday on .

He broke with members of his own party Wednesday as he defended the operation as necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

“I don’t know why we can’t just be honest,” Fetterman told “Saturday in America.”

“The last two professional candidates for the Democratic Party all agreed that we can never allow Iran to acquire nuclear bombs, and that’s made that possible now. I think we can say, ‘Hey, that’s a great thing. That makes the world more safe, more secure and holds Iran accountable.'”

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to a reporter as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol for a vote on Dec. 3, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Fetterman’s criticism comes after 53 House Democrats voted against a resolution declaring Iran a state sponsor of terror. He argued his colleagues’ stance reflects a concerning shift within the party.

“That’s almost 25% of Democrats in the House that can’t just call Iran the world’s biggest terrorism underwriter,” Fetterman said.

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Thick smoke billows over buildings in Tehran following Israeli airstrikes.

Smoke rises over the city after the Israeli military launched a second wave of airstrikes on Iran in Tehran on Feb. 28, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Fetterman was the lone Senate Democrat to vote against a resolution seeking to limit Trump’s war powers on Wednesday, arguing that longstanding bipartisan beliefs have always opposed Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“That’s where our party’s been heading now… I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t just identify that’s what Iran is,” he added.

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“Virtually every Democrat that I’m aware of says we can never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb, and they were a significant risk to America,” Fetterman said.

“I know why they [Democrats] don’t say that now, because I’m aware that it is very damaging as a Democrat to just happen to agree with the president on anything, but for me, that’s easy — country over party.”