Republicans are swooping in like vultures, eyeing Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman as a strong candidate to switch parties.
Politico reported that Arizona Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego is scrambling to keep Fetterman in the blue camp, but the cracks in the Democratic coalition are showing. The left’s purity tests are backfiring, and the GOP smells blood.
Gallego defended Fetterman during a Saturday interview, insisting Democrats need to keep their tent big enough for the Pennsylvania senator.
This comes as top Republicans and conservative groups shower Fetterman with praise, urging him to back Trump’s tax cuts.
Gallego’s trip to Pennsylvania for a town hall set the stage for his comments. He argued Fetterman still fights for working-class folks, even if he doesn’t always toe the Democratic line. Sounds like damage control for a party that’s starting to eat its own.
Some Democrats have cooled on Fetterman, citing concerns about his mental and physical health. House Democrats from Pennsylvania have even pointed voters to recent critical reports about him. Loyalty only goes so far when the woke mob demands perfection.
Fetterman’s not helping his case with the left by cozying up to Trump for a meeting or doubling down on his pro-Israel stance. The progressive purity police are clutching their pearls, ready to excommunicate him. Actions have consequences, and Fetterman is learning that the hard way.
Gallego, ever the pragmatist, warned against kicking people out of the Democratic tent. “We got so pure that we started kicking people out of the tent — it ends up there aren’t enough people in the tent to win elections,” he said. Too bad the left didn’t get that memo before they started sharpening their pitchforks.
Republicans, sensing weakness, are rolling out the red carpet for Fetterman. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas blasted the left for “vicious attacks” on Fetterman over his stance. Cotton’s crocodile tears might just be a ploy to peel off a vulnerable Democrat.
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania have also jumped on the Fetterman fan train, taking to social media to defend him.
The Club for Growth, a conservative heavyweight, is even running TV ads in Pennsylvania praising Fetterman as a champion for working families. Funny how quickly the GOP finds its heart when it suits their agenda.
The Club for Growth’s ad doesn’t stop at flattery—it nudges Fetterman to support Trump’s tax cuts. Fetterman, however, isn’t biting. He voted against a budget blueprint that would pave the way for those tax cuts and doubled down on his opposition Friday.
“I think the last thing he’ll do is harm working-class families by voting for the reconciliation bill,” Gallego said, backing Fetterman’s tax cut stance. It’s a rare moment of Democratic unity, but it’s not enough to quiet the grumbling from the left. Fetterman’s defiance is a middle finger to both the GOP’s charm offensive and his party’s purists.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tried to smooth things over, calling Fetterman an “all-star” who’s “doing a good job.” That’s high praise from a man who’s spent years herding cats in the Senate. But Schumer’s words won’t magically erase the Democratic infighting.
Gallego’s own visit to Pennsylvania, a battleground state, stirred some buzz. POLITICO first reported his trip, which included a town hall and questions about his ties to a pro-Trump businessperson, Marc Andreessen. Gallego brushed it off, noting Andreessen runs a major Arizona venture capital firm—hardly a scandal.
During the town hall, Gallego got grilled about his Andreessen fundraiser. “In the Marines, we call these fuck-fuck games,” he snapped, dismissing the criticism. Gotta admire the man’s bluntness, even if it’s a bit rich coming from a party obsessed with optics.
NBC News also pressed Gallego on whether he’s eyeing a presidential run. “Has it ever crossed my mind? Fucking of course, I’m an elected official, it crosses my mind,” he admitted, before insisting he’s not focused on it now. Ambition’s not a crime, but it’s a bold move to float that balloon in the middle of a Fetterman firestorm.