Sen. John Fetterman’s willingness to take a stand in support of Israel and speak out on immigration has angered the progressive left, so much so that he believes they want him dead.
“What I have found out over the last couple years is that the right, and now the left, are hoping that I die,” Fetterman, who nearly died from a stroke during his campaign, told The New York Times in an interview on Wednesday. “There are ones that are rooting for another blood clot. They have both now been wishing that I die.”
While Fetterman still supports many progressive issues, such as universal healthcare, abolishing the Senate filibuster, and a $15 minimum wage, the label does not fit him in an all-encompassing way anymore.
“It’s just a place where I’m not,” he told the Times. “I don’t feel like I’ve left the label; it’s just more that it’s left me."
"I’m not critical if someone is a progressive,” he added. “I believe different things.”
Mr. Fetterman has rejected calls for a cease-fire, filled the walls of the hallway outside his Senate office with photos of the hostages taken by Hamas, draped himself in an Israeli flag and even waved one provocatively in the face of pro-Palestinian demonstrators. A large Israeli flag even hangs on the wall behind his desk, positioned to be visible in his Zoom shots.
In forcefully inserting himself into an issue that has exposed a deep divide in the Democratic Party as the death toll in Gaza has risen, Mr. Fetterman has shattered any lasting perception that he is a progressive warrior in lock step with the left.
He has also publicly encouraged Democrats in recent days to engage in border negotiations with Republicans, talks that have outraged progressives who object to efforts to clamp down on migration through the United States border with Mexico. (NYT)
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As Matt has detailed, Fetterman has been surprising conservatives lately with his positions on certain issues, including recently criticizing those whose worldviews are informed by social media.
“A lot of [young] people are getting their perspective from TikTok. If you get your perspective on the world from TikTok, your views are going to be warped.”
Fetterman on NYT poll showing young voters blaming Israel in war against Hamas:
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) December 19, 2023
“If you’re getting your perspective on the world on TikTok, it’s going to tend to be kinda warped.
“It’s been very clear that Israel would very much want there to be peace."pic.twitter.com/umCkoBxwvQ
I’ve agreed with Fetterman at least 3 times this week and it’s only Tuesday
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) December 19, 2023
He’s now bashing TikTok for warping the minds of teenagers https://t.co/RGPYMu0K2C
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