Is John Fetterman the new Joe Manchin?
Former West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin was considered a maverick in the Democratic Party – often opposing the party’s policies, positions and legislative initiatives. If Manchin was a maverick, New Jersey Senator John Fetterman can be seen as an apostate.
Fetterman not only opposes some of his party’s hallmark positions on key issues, but he has also called out Democrats for their overall anti-Trump strategy. And he has not whispered these criticisms in back rooms or buried them in carefully massaged press releases. No. No. No. Fetterman has taken his grievances straight to the media.
He frequently appears on the most conservative programs, like Hannity, where he has delivered some of the most stinging rebukes of Democratic orthodoxy. It is not a minor political wobble. It is often a full repudiation of the party line — and it has Democrats privately complaining.
Fetterman has repeatedly blasted his own party for what he calls its “toxic” internal culture and its obsession with former President Trump. In one widely circulated interview, he said Democrats are suffering from “TDS—Trump Derangement Syndrome” – an accusation that usually comes from the President’s most impassioned supporters. That usage alone would have gotten most Democrats excommunicated from the progressive church. But Fetterman did not stop there.
He has criticized Democrats for being “too online,” too focused on symbolic fights, and too disconnected from working‑class voters. He has said the party is “losing the plot” and “doesn’t understand the country anymore.” He has repeatedly pushed back against the Democrats’ obsessive demonization of Trump and the so-called “resistance movement.”
Breaking with Schumer on the Government Shutdown
Perhaps the most striking example came during the government funding standoff. While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed a strategy of holding firm and keeping the government closed to pressure Republicans, Fetterman publicly broke ranks. He said, “Open the government. People shouldn’t suffer because politicians want to posture.”
That statement directly undercuts Schumer’s leverage. Democrats were stunned—not only because Fetterman contradicted leadership in no uncertain terms, but because he did so on national television without apology — and with the kind of plain‑spoken clarity that resonates with voters outside the Democrat base.
Backing the Iran Strike
Then came the Iran issue. When the administration launched a retaliatory strike, many Democrats criticized the move in the strongest terms – often appearing to side with Tehran.
Fetterman did the opposite. He said the U.S. was right to respond and that “Iran must be held accountable.” He even criticized members of his own party for what he called their “reflexive anti‑Americanism” whenever military force is used. He intimated that it was unpatriotic not to stand behind a President during a conflict.
For a Democrat to support a U.S. strike is one thing. For a Democrat to criticize other Democrats for not supporting it is something else entirely.
Support for Mullin
The importance of Fetterman’s current political views was most recently seen in the hearing over the confirmation of Senator Markwayne Mullin for secretary of Homeland Security. The nomination was moved forward in a procedural action by a single vote – and that was Fetterman. That got an unsurprising response on ABC’s “The View” by evergreen left-wing scold, Joy Behar. She groused about Fetterman’s vote, saying, “With Democrats like that who needs Republicans?”
Showing Up on Conservative Media
And then there are his media appearances. Fetterman has gone on Hannity, Fox & Friends, and other conservative programs—something most Democrats treat as radioactive. On Hannity, he said Democrats need to “get real” about border security and crime. He even joked that he feels more comfortable talking to conservatives than to the “Twitter left.” That is not a throwaway talking point. That is a political earthquake.
Is Fetterman Open to Switching Parties?
All of this raises a question that would have been unthinkable a year ago. Is Fetterman open to a switch in parties? Probably not a good bet at this time, but the potential seems there in view of his broad-brush attack on the Democrat establishment and its political positions.
As of late, Fetterman is criticizing Democrats more than Republicans. He is aligning with conservative positions on immigration, crime, foreign policy, men in women’s sports, and government shutdowns. He is appearing on conservative media more than liberal outlets. And he is using language— “TDS,” “open the government,” “get real”—that resonates with the right far more than the left that is currently driving the Democratic Party.
If Fetterman were to switch parties, the consequences would be seismic. Democrats are already struggling to gain control of the Senate. Losing a sitting Democrat senator to the GOP would make that task virtually impossible. It would shift the balance of power overnight and force Democrats to defend even more seats in an already brutal Senate map.
Publicly, Democratic leaders have tried to downplay the situation. In many ways they are shunning Fetterman. Since he launched his campaign of criticism against the Democratic Party, he has been conspicuously absent from the left-wing media. Schumer has said only that “Senator Fetterman is an independent voice.” Other Democrats have offered gentle reminders that “unity is important.” But behind the scenes, reports suggest frustration, confusion and resentment. They do not know why Fetterman is doing it or what to do about it.
Fetterman’s break with Democrat orthodoxy is not just a political curiosity. It is a symptom of a party that may again be losing its grip on the working‑class voters it once claimed to champion. Fetterman is saying out loud what many Democrats fear privately — that the party has drifted too far left, too far into ideological purity tests, and too far away from the real concerns of ordinary Americans.
One thing is clear. John Fetterman is no longer marching in Democrat lockstep. Whether he switches parties or not, he is likely to be a critical vote in support of the Republican agenda in the Senate. And that is a big plus for the GOP.
So, there ‘tis.
For over two years you have been whining about full disclosure and Fetterman’s mental incapacities due to stroke demanding cognitive tests.
And now that he’s your hero, no issues.
Gee, Trump is your hero too, coincidence or correlation?
Just over seven months and at $5 a gal, I am sure Fetterman’s vote will put you exactly where you belong.
Dunger you’re the one who needs a cognitive test. Did you really throw rocks at black folks?
Willdungie the fascist racist. Please flirt with someone else. I am straight and not like you. Ben gets his rocks off with black kids like you, go pedo peddle your stuff with him.
Dunger I read Willie’s post and failed to see any racism. Can you explain? No? I didn’t think so. Just don’t be throwing rocks at anyone.
Dennis, not sure what NJ has to do with it, or if you are even referencing me, but do realize I spent decades in PA; I am an Erie sort of guy. My entire family, sans me, is born and bred in PA and my my entire heritage is PA based from either coal mines near Scranton, the Main Line, or Norristown. Much of my life revolves around the Keystone State.
Bendoverdung: Generally speaking, it’s pretty lame to describe racism to a racist. Like lipstick on a pig. But since Fire Engine Red seems to be your color: your first hint of racism might be Willheatsdung’s use of color to describe a man and you’re dropping it when you rinse and repeat. What matter to his discussion is race or is he just coloring his commentary? If it does not matter, why did you drop it? You both talk about throwing rocks at people; you seem to leave out race, Willbedung calls it out as if there’s some important meaning to it. And he does it all the time.
And the bot says: “The question “are you throwing rocks at black people?” directed at liberals is not a literal question but rather a sarcastic internet meme or rhetorical device used to highlight perceived hypocrisy or a disconnect between liberal principles and actions, particularly concerning race and social issues. The phrase is believed to have originated from a post or comment in online forums like Reddit, where a user posed this absurdly specific question as a sarcastic counterpoint to the common liberal accusation that opponents are racists.”
Don’t be a Karen. Don’t be deplorable. At least get some originality boys, a spark of creativity, a little less childish, and a bit more manly. Less diversion, derailment, mockery, hypocrisy, which only shows your frustration over your inability to make a cogent argument.
Dunger your party doesn’t care about any minorities except to use them to get power. But many of the people of color are seeing this hypocrisy for what it is. How do you justify the belief that minorities need the government to exist? And I laugh out loud when your crowd claims that certain people can’t have picture ID because of their race. What a fucking bunch of morons!!! You people aren’t “woke”. You’re just running a scam. Sorry, but you democrats don’t get your slaves back.
Willheatsdung: OK. No evidence shown. No proof, but feel free to your opinion.
Hard to see you knowing what “many of the people of color” anything since I am not sure what color or colors you are talking about.
And when you spew: ” How do you justify the belief that minorities need the government to exist?” I am not even sure what planet you are on or what reality you live it because I know of no belief to even justify or not. It’s just crazy talk.
What I find amazing is that Republicans are too stupid to devise a safe and secure voting process either by mail, internet or both. If the internet is good enough for Citibank, the IRS, Social Security, Fidelity Investments, and Wells Fargo, then why are Republicans too stupid to use it to create a safe, secure, and easy-to-use method of voting.
Not sure what you mean by “your crowd.” I’m pretty much off the grid since before covid. I have stated many times that I no issue with providing government-issued ID to vote. You are just too stupid to see that. But change the rules for the mid-terms at this late date and I vote NO to any changes. Too late, try again for 2028 and take the time to get your heads out of your collective asses to do it in a timely fashion instead of your normal crisis management that seems to be the only management you know. Better yet, devise a better way to vote either by mail or, better yet, the internet.
First, Senator Fetterman is from Pennsylvania and not New Jersey. Second, as a resident and voter in PA I didn’t vote for him. I’m a very committed conservative Republican and he didn’t fit in my narrative of what I wanted in one of my senators. That said, Senator Fetterman has literally shocked everyone in his behavior and stated positions in obvious defiance of the Democratic party that he has identified with. Yes, most people were more than concerned about his health following his stroke and need to pursue his physical and mental health and resulting absence from the Senate but he appears to be healed and in good health and he is doing his job. Yes, he is a bit eccentric wearing hoodies and jeans but I support and recognize him as my senator for all of the citizens of Pennsylvania (I never ever thought that I’d say than about a Democrat).