During a recent interview with NBC News, Democrat Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) has caused disappointment among the radical Left wing of his party by asserting that he does not identify as a progressive.
“I’m not a progressive,” Fetterman said.
He added, “I just think I’m a Democrat that is very committed to choice and other things.
“But, with Israel, I’m going to be on the right side of that.
“And, immigration is something near and dear to me, and I think we do have to effectively address it as well.”
Fetterman highlights two concerns in the aforementioned statement that distinguish him from numerous fellow Democrats.
Specifically, Fetterman’s stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict and immigration has created conflicts with several outspoken members within his party.
Fox News reports:
“Where many in the party have sympathized with the Palestinian’s struggles amid the Israel-Hamas War and have called for a “cease-fire” in the conflict, Fetterman has openly supported Israel’s right to defend itself, and has even mocked progressive protesters demanding he speak out against Israel’s war effort.”
NBC also reported on Fetterman’s stance on immigration:
“Fetterman insisted he can be pro-immigration while also favoring policies to restrict the flow of migration to manageable levels, disagreeing with progressives who oppose new limits on asylum and bash some of the ideas in the negotiations as cruel.”
However, Fetterman’s departure from his fellow Democrats is not limited to just these two issues. Another instance of this can be seen in Fetterman’s firm belief that Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) should be expelled from Congress.
Fetterman made this call after Menendez was indicted for bribery. While it may appear that Republicans could find some common ground with Fetterman, it is important to remember that he still identifies as a Democrat. According to Fox reports, Fetterman “continues to align his votes with President Biden’s policies for the most part.”
It should be noted that Biden’s policies lean towards the left rather than being centrist. Therefore, Fetterman’s consistent support for Biden’s policies indicates that he is indeed a leftist politician.
Nevertheless, Fetterman maintains that his positions on the Israel-Hamas conflict, U.S. immigration, and even the Menendez situation should not come as a surprise to anyone.
In fact, Fetterman asserts that his views are all coherent and in line with his overall stance.
Adam Jentleson, Fetterman’s chief of staff, conveyed to NBC:
“He’s just being consistent.
“He spent the entire campaign telling people he wasn’t a down-the-line lefty.”