Fetterman says he will remain a Democrat after GOP convention appearance

DALLAS — Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said he will remain a Democrat after making a surprise video appearance Wednesday at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention to introduce Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Fetterman said his remarks were meant to introduce “Dave McCormick as a great American and friend” and stressed, “I
m a lifelong Democrat who votes overwhelmingly with my party.” He added that if Democrats win control of the Senate in November, “I will still be the 51st vote that I ran on.”

Fetterman defeated Dr. Mehmet Oz in 2022 in a race that helped give Democrats a slim Senate majority. He ran on a progressive platform but has moved toward the center and frequently clashed with party leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., according to his public voting record and statements.

A recent report, citing leaked texts with his aides, alleged that Fetterman sometimes brushed off duties of his office, including meeting with paralyzed veterans and calling a three-hour funeral service for slain police officers a “non-starter,” the report said. The disclosures have intensified pressure from some Democrats who have called for his removal from committees.

Republicans have openly courted Fetterman. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said in July that he and others have discussed the “challenges he faces in his caucus” and that many in the Senate GOP “would welcome the opportunity to have him join the Republican conference,” Thune said. Fetterman, however, insisted in his Fox News Digital statement that he is not turning his back on the Democratic Party.

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