Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said on Wednesday that the only thing that would cause him to leave the Democratic Party would be if it turned into an anti-Israel party.
Several Republican lawmakers have floated the notion of trying to persuade Fetterman to switch parties, but he has rejected the idea.
During an appearance on Fox News, host Sean Hannity asked Fetterman what could convince him to leave the Democrats. “You know, the one thing that absolutely is in common is just contempt for Israel that essentially is becoming just rank antisemitism,” Fetterman said.
The senator criticized members of his party for their stance on the war in Gaza. “The individual that just won in Colorado, she refused to describe the situation where someone firebombed a group of Jews that was just rallying for the Israeli hostages at that time and killed a woman,” he said. “She refused to even address that. It is that antisemitic. So this is the point.”
Fetterman continued, noting that there is a “strong correlation” with “anti-Israel drifting into antisemitism, very, very intensely anti-American. And now just here, that individual also believes America deserved 9/11, and of course, Israel deserved the massacre of October 7th.”
The senator took aim at Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner while offering praise for other Democratic candidates. But he also railed against the leftward lurch his party is experiencing with more candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) winning critical primary races.
“I don't know why we have other Democrats, you know, even people that are calling for their jobs in leadership saying 'you're next, you're next,'” he said. “Why can't you just push back and say these are abhorrent beliefs, you know, communism, socialism.”
The lawmaker continued, saying, “what my real concern is, the Democratic Party is going to become, and put it into the platform, an anti-Israel party, that Israel does not have the right to defend itself and to exist.”
He added, “And the second that becomes a formal part of our platform, that's the one thing that would push me out of this party because I'm deeply alarmed the way the Democratic Party is going after Israel and allowing rank antisemitism to just flourish, you know, in the left on the campuses as well too."
Sen. John Fetterman explains the one thing the Democratic Party could do to make him leave.
— Jeff Charles, Asker of Questions🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) July 2, 2026
"My real concern is the Democratic Party is going to put it into the platform ... as an anti-Israel party" pic.twitter.com/SwaxlFKZaX
Fetterman has been one of the strongest voices in the Democratic Party for support for Israel. He has repeatedly affirmed its right to defend itself while seeking to eliminate Hamas in Gaza. He has previously called out members of his own party for opposing Israel and seeming to side with Palestinian terrorist groups.
“I’m not a member of the Jewish community, but if I was one, it would be bleak as a Jewish voter in the Democratic Party,” he said during a media appearance.