There’s been a lot of rumors and wishful thinking going around lately about trying to get Senator John Fetterman to switch from Democrat to Republican.  All because Fetterman has been consistently standing with Israel, calling out the rabid Gaza activists, and darning to vote to keep the government open. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Well, now he tells us bluntly, he’s a Democrat through and through.

Many might not know, but I won my first race by a single vote to be mayor of Braddock, a small steel town — one of the poorest in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania — where 90 percent of the population has left. It was a forgotten community.

I wasn’t interested in playing political games. I wanted to help deliver change. It wasn’t about being a Democrat or Republican, but about making sure places such as Braddock received the benefits, focus and investments they deserved for their contributions to this great country.

As a U.S. senator, I still believe in that principle. It doesn’t matter if my colleague is in my party or across the aisle. My focus remains on working together to find wins and deliver for my constituents. And though I was elected as a Democrat, I’m proud to serve all Pennsylvanians.
It has become increasingly lonely to serve in that way, but I firmly believe it’s what is needed.

As our longtime readers know, we weren’t fans of Fetterman during his Senate race and were very concerned that his stroke would cause him to be unfit to serve. Yet, he won, and has recovered from his stroke. He’s also been a surprise on several fronts. Namely his strong unwavering support for Israel, support for LEGAL immigration, and his recent clearheadedness regarding the rabid progressive wing of the Democrat party. 

Which has led to overt and behind the scenes efforts to cajole him into switching parties. 

Trump has made the sell, offering his patented total and complete endorsement plus a financial windfall to the Pennsylvanian. A handful of Senate Republicans are also gently feeling out Fetterman and responding to his concerns over the prospect of defecting from the Democratic Party, multiple high-level GOP officials tell me.

If Fetterman does flip, according to officials who were given anonymity to talk about sensitive matters, it will be thanks in large part to his deepening friendship with a pair of senators and their high-profile spouses: Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), and his wife Dina, and Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and her husband, Wesley.

But the first-term Democrat — who’s infuriated his party with his harder line on immigration and staunch support for Israel, Trump nominees, government funding bills and most recently the president’s ballroom — isn’t yet persuaded.

The rabid progressive wing of the Democrat party, which is a significant majority of them these days, are incredibly ticked off at John Fetterman for supporting legal immigration, calling out the protests, supporting Israel, and daring to vote multiple times to keep DHS, including ICE funded. 

.@SenFettermanPA and I don’t have to ask parents what it’s like to raise kids and teens, we’re living it.

The next generation is facing an unprecedented youth mental health crisis, directly correlated to the rise in social media, which is why we’re leading legislation in the… pic.twitter.com/StFJp3bAGz

— Senator Katie Boyd Britt (@SenKatieBritt) April 24, 2026

How DARE he work across the aisle to get issues important to his constituents passed!

Key line here from @SenFettermanPA
"I was elected as a Democrat, I’m proud to serve all Pennsylvanians."

He was voted in yes as a Democrat but his job is to represent and honor ALL of Pennsylvanians, not just the will of the Democrats.https://t.co/rwgt6IQTjT

— ZitoSalena (@ZitoSalena) May 7, 2026

His own party won’t disown the protests or the violence of the protestors. 

Mob of Pro-Hezbollah / Hamas shitheads raging against law enforcement and terrorizing the NYC Jewish community near a synagogue and day care.

Where’s my party’s condemnation? https://t.co/SXyIx3BLPR

— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) May 6, 2026

Crickets is all we get from them because today’s elected Democrats are either totally in favor of these mobs or are too afraid to speak out against the progressive wing of their party.

In fact, the reaction to Fetterman’s op-ed makes the case for him regarding how the Democrat party has changed, but he, his values, and work for his constituents has not.

Ryan Cooper, senior editor at The American Prospect, a national progressive magazine, said he is agitated but not fringe. His latest piece asks if Fetterman will go full Benedict Arnold.

“He was, you know, supposed to be like a type of person in the mold of AOC, a Zohran Mamdani, you know, that was his brand,” Cooper said.

Cooper said he doesn’t just feel betrayed; he feels embarrassed for having voted for Fetterman. He won’t do it again, and he said he’s not alone.

“Can John Fetterman win a Democratic primary? Absolutely not. He is underwater by 40 points,” Cooper said. “He’s just basically painted a big target on his own face by taking horribly unpopular stances.”

Prominent Democrats are lining up to challenge Fetterman in two years, Cooper said. Philadelphia Congressman Brendan Boyle is said to be one of them. He wouldn’t confirm that, but he didn’t hold back on Fetterman.

“It’s unfortunate to me that almost every day, if not every day, our Democratic senator from the state goes on TV, most often Fox News, never criticizes President Trump, and is always criticizing Democrats,” Boyle said. “And I don’t know why that is.”

Progressives have a litmus test in place and evidently Fetterman is failing. 

CNN’s Van Jones just unloaded on “nutty” Democrats for refusing to let John Fetterman be a moderate in their own party.

“That should not be illegal in this party. My god you have to agree on 100% of 100% of the Berkeley California agenda to be a Democrat? It doesn’t make any… pic.twitter.com/uksIZN5XK2

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) May 6, 2026

Quite honestly, I think it is partly the frothing at the mouth Progressives, that have a major case of TDS, whom Fetterman is responding to in his op-ed. 

John Fetterman made it abundantly clear that he is a Democrat who will always put his constituents and his country first. 

Plus, I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.

Feature Photo Credit: John Fetterman at Democrat Jewish Leader Summit 2024 via Wikimedia Commons, cropped and modified