HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) 鈥� When Democrat John Fetterman got to Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seat, many backers hoped he'd challenge convention and the status quo.
He did and has 鈥� just not in the way many had expected.
Fetterman has broken with his party on some policy matters and warmed to President-elect , a man he bashed on the 2024 campaign trail as a 鈥渇elon" who is 鈥渙bsessed with revenge.鈥� Fetterman later became the since the election.
In fact, Fetterman has warmed to Trump so much that some in his party are quietly disavowing the man they supported in 2022, when the Pennsylvanian easily won a three-candidate primary and to become the only Democrat to flip a Republican Senate seat that year.
Christine Jacobs, who founded Represent PA, an organization to help elect Democratic women to Pennsylvania鈥檚 legislature, said the Democrats she鈥檚 talking to are both disappointed and concerned by Fetterman's dalliance with Trump.
Their worry, Jacobs said, is that 鈥淭rump can say he鈥檚 talking to Democrats like John Fetterman, but it鈥檚 not going to change what he does and it鈥檒l end up looking like John Fetterman鈥檚 being used.鈥�
Fetterman's approach is reminding some Democrats of former Democratic Sens. of Arizona and of West Virginia, both of whom clashed with their party during President term, became political independents and didn't run for reelection.
Still, Fetterman 鈥� who often mocked Manchin during his 2022 Senate run 鈥� isn't the only one adjusting to the new political reality.
Democrats are grappling with election losses across battleground states, including Pennsylvania, that gave Trump and his party control of the White House and Congress. Democrats are weighing how much to challenge Trump and whether to embrace some of his policies as they try to rebuild their coalition.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 changed my core values throughout out all this,鈥� Fetterman told KDKA-AM radio in Pittsburgh on Thursday. But, he said, engaging with Republicans is 鈥渙ne of the reasons why they elected me, they wanted me to do these things.鈥�
Now Pennsylvania's senior senator, Fetterman had a difficult start to his Senate career. He was diagnosed with auditory processing disorder, a complication from the stroke, and checked for depression just one month after taking office.
Six weeks later, Fetterman returned to the Senate 鈥� joking with colleagues and shedding his suit-and-tie for the hoodies and shorts that had long been his trademark.
He quickly made waves 鈥� for instance, lambasting then-Sen. , D-N.J., for remaining in office while facing bribery charges. Menendez was last year.
After Hamas Israel, Fetterman became an outspoken supporter of Israel on an issue that had firmly divided Democrats.
Now, Fetterman has become the only Senate Democrat to meet with Trump, after flying to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last weekend. only reasonable to meet with the incoming president in what Fetterman has described as a good and honest conversation that lasted for over an hour.
鈥淎nd I can only see good things emerging from that,鈥� Fetterman told KDKA.
For his part, Trump the Washington Examiner that they had a 鈥渢otally fascinating meeting鈥� and that Fetterman is a 鈥渃ommonsense person鈥� and 鈥渘ot liberal or conservative.鈥�
Some Democrats say Fetterman is a smart politician who is acknowledging political reality.
Mustafa Rashed, a Philadelphia-based Democratic strategist, said Pennsylvania should be considered a Republican state after Trump's second victory there in three tries and the GOP's down-ballot trouncing of Democrats in November's statewide races.
鈥淗e鈥檚 in a red state,鈥� Rashed said. 鈥淥f course he鈥檚 got to go meet with him. And if you want to continue to represent a red state, of course you鈥檝e got to meet with the president.鈥�
Fetterman 鈥� who is among 10 Senate Democrats representing states won by Trump 鈥� is distinguishing himself in other ways.
He's met with several of Trump鈥檚 Cabinet picks 鈥� unlike his fellow Democrats 鈥� and pledged to vote for some, even posing for photos with a thumb鈥檚-up, which Trump often strikes in photos with well-wishers.
Fetterman is also not dismissing Trump鈥檚 eyebrow-raising idea of acquiring Greenland, the massive and rare earth mineral-rich Danish territory. On Fox News, Fetterman called buying Greenland 鈥渁 responsible conversation鈥� and compared it to the Louisiana Purchase.
He co-sponsored a GOP bill to detain unauthorized immigrants accused of certain crimes and helped a procedural hurdle in the Senate. Amid brewing Democratic opposition, Fetterman remarked on Fox News that if enough Democrats couldn鈥檛 join with Republicans to pass the bill 鈥渢hen that鈥檚 a reason why we lost鈥� the 2024 election.
Democratic strategists note Fetterman forged his political career largely on his own, independently from the party.
As a small-town mayor in Braddock, Fetterman became a minor celebrity for his looks 鈥� he's 6-foot-8 and tattooed with a shaved head 鈥� and his efforts to put the depressed former steel town back on the map.
He endorsed insurgent Democrat in 2016鈥檚 presidential primary and ran from the left against the party-backed Democrat in 2016鈥檚 Senate primary. When the state Democratic Party looked to endorse a candidate in 2022鈥檚 three-way primary, Fetterman shrugged it off as an 鈥渋nside game.鈥�
Jamie Perrapato, executive director of Turn PA Blue, which helps organize and train campaign volunteers, said she's seeing a lot of outrage on the left over Fetterman engaging with Trump. But nobody should be surprised, she said.
Fetterman is a 鈥渨ild card," Perrapato said, and if anyone thought he'd fall in line with Senate Democratic leadership, 鈥渢hey were crazy.鈥�
Fetterman's drift has given rise to whispers that he may change his registration.
Last month, appearing on ABC鈥檚 鈥淭his Week,鈥� Fetterman said that he鈥檚 not leaving the Democratic Party, but that meeting Trump nominees and aligning with some GOP policy views is part of 鈥渞epresenting the kind of state that we have in Pennsylvania.鈥�
Still, Fetterman hasn't backed away from his bedrock issues, such as support for labor unions, abortion rights or LGBT rights.
He has had close relationships with some top Pennsylvania Democrats, including former Sen. Bob Casey, and Jim Burn, a former state Democratic Party chairman, said Fetterman campaigned hard for Vice President before she lost to Trump.
鈥淣obody can say John Fetterman was hedging bets for the Republicans," Burn said, 鈥渂ecause he was working his tail off for Kamala Harris all over the state.鈥�
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Marc Levy, The Associated Press
