During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) revealed that if he eventually leaves the Democratic Party, his views and his votes would not change. Tapper went on to say, “You’ve said that if the Democratic Party becomes officially and overtly hostile to Israel, that might cause you to leave the party to become an independent, to be clear, not to become a Republican.”
“This week, there was a vote in the House to cut off more than $3 billion in military aid to Israel. There are 212 House Democrats, 103 of them voted to cut off that aid. The people voting included, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi voting to cut off aid. If when would when do you view the party as becoming officially overtly anti-Israel?” he asked Fetterman.
Tapper attached two other questions to that, asking the Pennsylvania Democrat, “When it’s all of the House Democrats doing that when it’s a majority? Because you’re pretty close right there with 103 out of 212.” Fetterman answered that since candidates run on a platform, and anti-Israel sentiment becomes part of the Democratic Party, that forces him to make the decision to leave the party.
However, Fetterman also made it clear that if he leaves behind the Democratic Party, it won’t be to join the GOP. “Well, candidates run on a platform and if that becomes the Democratic platform that we will now ever vote for any aid and we’ll turn our back on Israel, then that makes me make that decision is really what a Democrat should stand for, or being a part of my party for me. And now, you know, Jake, I’ve said this, that if I change my party spontaneously right now, my views and my votes aren’t going to change.”
According to Breitbart, the senator went on to add, “It’s really more of a statement now. And if you look at the kind of people that are winning our primaries, their centerpieces of their campaign is anti Israel kinds of rhetoric, whether it’s in my state or it’s whether in New York City and what’s happening in Colorado now too.”
“If you believe the Democratic Party’s future is rooted in describing Israel as apartheid state or genocidal, and they don’t deserve to have our support, that forces me to say, is this really make sense for me as a Democrat with these views are to continue to actually intensify?” Fetterman explained. A new poll from Quinnipiac University has revealed that 52% of voters want the senator to ditch the party.
“The Democrats would like to show him the door. The Republicans seem to be welcoming him in. Thus is the political irony of Senator John Fetterman,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said in a release, according to The Hill. Fetterman’s approval rating is currently sitting at around 48%, but 52% of Democrats are ready to boot him out.
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The Pennsylvania Democrat won the seat he currently occupies in 2022. Much to the chagrin of Democrats in Congress, Fetterman tends to vote according to his values and beliefs rather than just going along with the hive mind of his political party. As a result, Fetterman has, on numerous occasions, voted with Republicans and has pointed out the hypocrisy present in his own party.
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