Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania warned fellow Democrats that they could face a political backlash if they were seen as failing to sufficiently condemn acts of violence by protesters in Southern California, which local officials have said were limited.
On Monday, he posted a photo on social media of a car engulfed in flames and a masked, shirtless person waving a Mexican flag. He suggested that Democrats — many of whom have in fact criticized acts of destruction or violence — should go further in denouncing unruly demonstrations.
“This is anarchy and true chaos,” he wrote. “My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement.”
Local officials in California have described the violence as limited, under control and exacerbated by President Trump’s decision to federalize the National Guard and deploy troops over the governor’s objection.
“I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration — but this is not that,” Mr. Fetterman wrote. “This is anarchy and true chaos.”
Mr. Fetterman, elected in 2022, has become one of the Democrats whom Republicans love to quote as he has broken with some of his party’s orthodoxies. He checked himself into a hospital for depression early in his first year in office, and his mental health has recently been the subject of both concern and scrutiny.
Democrats on Capitol Hill tried to shrug off his latest comments on Tuesday.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion,” said Representative Yvette D. Clarke of New York, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Some praise appeared to arrive, however, from Elon Musk, the owner of the social media site X, where Mr. Fetterman made his comment. Mr. Musk replied to the post with an American flag emoji.
Shane Goldmacher is a Times national political correspondent.
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