Topline
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., insisted that he was not switching parties and vowed to vote along with the Democrats if they took control of the Senate after the midterms, in a statement issued shortly after his surprise appearance in a video at the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Dallas on Thursday.
A video featuring Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., plays at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas.
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Key Facts
Fetterman, who has been increasingly at odds with his own party, appeared in a video at the convention to introduce his GOP colleague, Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa.
In the minute-long video, Fetterman introduced himself as a “common sense Democrat” and said he will always “stand with America” and “reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life.”
Fetterman heaped praise on McCormick, calling him the type of Senator that “gets the job done” and called him a “great American.”
Standing in front of a U.S. Steel mill, the Pennsylvania Democrat said this was something he and McCormick will work together and “work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way of life.”
A clip of the post was shared by the Trump administration’s “Rapid Response” X account with the caption “Based John Fetterman.”
What Did Fetterman Say After The Appearance?
In a statement shared with multiple outlets after his surprise appearance, Fetterman insisted he was not switching parties or planning to side with Republicans in Congress. “I’m a lifelong Democrat who votes overwhelmingly with my party-and should the Senate flip in November, I will still be the 51st vote that I ran on,” Fetterman said. The Democrat also said that his remarks were only there to introduce McCormick, adding that “We are in different parties, but we are both Team PA.” The senator also touted that the two of them have “delivered hundreds of millions of dollars back to Pennsylvania, fought for improved transportation and affordable housing, and the Steel Way of Life.”
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