Senator John Fetterman (R-Pennsylvania) denied rumors that he plans to join the Republican Party after his meeting with President Donald Trump.
“It Won’t Happen” Fetterman told Semafor on Monday night. “And even if I wanted to do it, it would be a rocket sled to Palookaville to try to transfer. I would be a pretty bad Republican.”
Rumors spread on social media about Fetterman reaching out to Republicans, including becoming the first Democratic senator to visit Trump at Mar-a-Lago. He also called on Joe Biden to pardon Trump in his New York hush money case.
“I encouraged my colleagues in DC and others, saying, ‘This is what democracy is all about. That’s how it works. That’s where we’re at,” Fetterman said earlier this month of meeting with some of Trump’s Cabinet nominees.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 seat advantage in the U.S. Senate, where Democrats control 45 seats along with the two independents facing them – Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine.
Fetterman, who attended Monday’s inauguration in his signature shorts and hoodie, sent a fundraising email with the subject line “My non-negotiables” shortly after Trump took the oath of office.
“Even though Donald Trump is officially back in the White House, I am not backing down from fighting for what is right,” the email read.
He listed three rather vague categories: “the union lifestyle must be maintained, LGBTQ+ people should be left alone… and the government’s job is to make your lives easier, not to take away your rights.”
On Monday night, Fetterman was one of 12 Democrats who voted for the GOP-backed Laken Riley immigration bill, which he also co-authored. The bill passed the Senate with several GOP amendments and now returns to the House for final passage.
