WASHINGTON — Sen. John Fetterman has revealed how the Democratic Party could lose him as a member.
The Pennsylvanian claimed that while he has “no plans” to abandon his party, his fellow Democrats fully turning against US support for Israel would mark a parting of the ways.
“If our party ever becomes — and just makes it official — the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me,” Fetterman, 56, told the Hill Nation Summit on Wednesday.
“My long-term concern has been with the Democratic Party, as I am a member of that, is that our party is going to back away and turn their back to Israel.”
Fetterman has frequently attacked the left flank of his party over its animosity toward the Jewish state as well as its growing affection for socialism.
The same day as Fetterman’s remarks, 103 House Democrats backed an amendment by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to cut off $3.3 billion in defense support for Israel.
Among those to support the amendment were House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), the second-ranking conference member in the lower chamber.
Fetterman also attacked members of his party for “trying to ingratiate ourselves with that segment of the base of our voters are intensely, intensely anti-Israel.”
The Pennsylvania senator has a 69% disapproval rating among Democratic voters in his home state while just 19% approve, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll.
But among Republicans, 77% approve of Fetterman’s job performance, compared to 12% who disapprove.
Fetterman has repeatedly rebuffed overtures from Republicans to jump ship. In May, he wrote a Washington Post op-ed tearing into the calls for him to switch parties.
“My values have not changed, and I have always turned to those kinds of ideals that defined being a Democrat,” he wrote. “I remain strongly pro-choice, pro-weed, pro-LGBT, pro-SNAP, pro-labor … I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.”
Fetterman is not up for reelection until 2028 and has not said whether he will pursue a second term.
