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By Joe Edwards
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A Pennsylvania Democrat has called for Senator John Fetterman to resign, citing his growing alignment with the Republican Party and President Donald Trump.
In a guest editorial published by PennLive on March 22, Matt Roan, chair of the Cumberland County Democratic Party, criticized the senator from Pennsylvania for what he described as an abandonment of Democratic values.
Newsweek contacted Fetterman for comment via email on Monday.
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Why It Matters
Fetterman's efforts to work with Republicans, including being the first Senate Democrat to meet Trump after his election victory, follow his break with progressives on issues such as support for Israel and immigration. While this has attracted considerable criticism from progressives, he has dismissed rumors that he is considering switching parties to become a Republican.
What To Know
Roan listed several grievances he had with the senator, including Fetterman's decision in early February to vote in favor of confirming Pam Bondi——who would not say that Trump lost the 2020 election when asked by senators—as attorney general.
Roan also criticized Fetterman for supporting a Republican government funding bill that Roan said would "enable the continued decimation of federal agencies at the hands of South African billionaire Elon Musk."
"Sen. Fetterman has refused to hold town hall meetings in Pennsylvania to hear from his constituents. In fact, the only public event where Fetterman will face the people of the Commonwealth is a joint appearance with Republican Sen. Dave McCormick and his wife Dina Powell, a former Trump administration official, to promote a children's book written by the Republican power couple," Roan wrote.
McCormick and Fetterman are set to host their first joint public event in Pittsburgh on March 29, according to Axios.
"Enough is enough," Roan wrote. "Fetterman seems disinterested in serving in his important position, and his actions in the Senate are actively harming Pennsylvanians."
Fetterman was one of 10 senate Democrats who voted with Republicans to pass a GOP-backed stopgap funding bill earlier in March to avoid a government shutdown—a bill that was widely opposed by House Democrats, who criticized it for cutting social programs. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who supported the bill, also faced backlash from fellow Democrats.
Fetterman's support for Israel has also put him at odds with more progressive members of the Democratic Party, who have criticized Israel's military actions in Gaza. In early March, he backed Trump's decision to strip $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, accusing the school of allowing antisemitism on campus.
Fetterman has supported Republican-backed measures on immigration, including co-sponsoring the Laken Riley Act, which requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain certain undocumented immigrants accused of theft-related crimes, among others.
The speculation about Fetterman switching parties intensified after he met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago before the president's second inauguration. However, Fetterman publicly denied the rumors during a January interview on The View, saying, "I am not going to become a Republican. I would make a pretty terrible Republican because, you know, pro-choice, pro-really strong immigration, pro-LGBTQ. I don't think I'd be a good fit."
He added that he's committed to remaining a Democrat but is willing to work with Trump if it helps deliver for Pennsylvania .
What People Are Saying
Roan wrote in his opinion piece in PennLive: "Throughout the 2022 campaign, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman included as a keynote in his stump speech that he would always be the 51st vote for causes important to Democrats... Fast forward to 2024 and things have changed. Fetterman is now a leader among Democratic senators when it comes to capitulating to Donald Trump and the Republican Party that he controls."
He added: "As a Democratic County Party leader, who worked tirelessly to elect Fetterman in 2022, who stood by him through the hardship of his recovery from stroke and depression, his complete abandonment of the core values of our Party has become untenable. I call for his immediate resignation from the U.S. Senate.
Fetterman wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in response to a headline about Trump pulling funding from the university: "Columbia let antisemitism run amok to cater to lunatic fringe and paid provocateurs...Leadership allowed those a******* to take over the campus and terrorize Jewish students. Now, Columbia pays for its failure and I support that."
What Happens Next
Fetterman is up for reelection in 2028.
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