Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) is well aware that the state he represents voted for President Donald Trump in 2024, and he even accepted an invitation to Trump's Mar-a-Lago. The commonwealth is a moderate, purple state, and Fetterman is something of a moderate senator, especially on certain issues. Does that mean he'll join the Republican Party, though? Don't count on it.
On Monday night, there was chatter that a Democratic senator might be switching his or her party affiliation to Republican "by next week."
Just left a conversation and my source indicated to me that a key Democratic senator is expected to change party affiliation to Republican by next week. Wow!
— Jamel Holley (@jamelholley) January 20, 2025
Given his moderate stances, his willingness to meet with Trump, and his willingness to put his fellow Democrats in their place, even and including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Fetterman switching parties might not be the most farfetched idea in the world. The senator still shot it down, though.
While speaking to Semafor on Monday night about such rumors, he called it "amateur hour s**t," and also referenced now former colleagues who left the Democratic Party, West Virginia's Joe Manchin and Arizona's Kyrtsen Sinema. They both became Independents.
"If they think, 'oh, it’s going to be like a Manchin or a Sinema play,' that’s just not true, and that’s not going to happen," Fetterman said. "It’s not gonna happen...And even if I wanted to do that, that is a rocket sled to Palookaville to try to switch. I would make a pretty bad Republican," he also shared.
Fetterman is aware of chatter that he might switch caucuses. He told Semafor it's "amateur hour shit" and he's staying Dem
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) January 21, 2025
“It’s not gonna happen ... And even if I wanted to do that, that is a rocket sled to Palukaville to try to switch. I would make a pretty bad Republican"
"But Fetterman said his party affiliation and place in the Senate Democratic caucus is 'not going to change,' adding that he’s privately expressed that to colleagues in leadership," Semafor's reporting also mentioned.
While Fetterman is reliably pro-Israel and was one of several Democrats to sponsor and vote for the Laken Riley Act, he's also pro-abortion and a fan of the transgender ideology. At least he knows that he wouldn't make a good Republican and can't be counted on for it.
2026, when Fetterman is up for reelection, will certainly be interesting, especially if he earns a primary challenger.