Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) made an unusual surprise appearance by video Wednesday at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, praising Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania) and expressing willingness to work with President Donald Trump.
The video was the latest instance of Fetterman lauding Republicans. That praise, coupled with his frequent criticism of his own party, has stoked speculation that he could become a Republican.
Fetterman described himself during his remarks at the convention as a “common-sense Democrat” who rejected socialism and “extremes.” He lauded McCormick as his “great friend” and “a great senator” even though the two belong to different parties.
“We’ll work together and we’ll work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way right here in the Steel Valley,” Fetterman said in the video, standing in front of the U.S. Steel plant in Braddock, Pennsylvania, where Fetterman once served as mayor.
In a statement after his remarks, Fetterman said he would not switch parties even if Democrats retake the Senate in the midterm elections. If Democrats pick up four seats, they would control the Senate 51-49, giving Fetterman the power to return control of the chamber to Republicans if he switched parties.
“I’m a lifelong Democrat who votes overwhelmingly with my party — and should the Senate flip in November, I will still be the 51st vote that I ran on,” Fetterman said in the statement.
It is uncommon but not unprecedented for lawmakers to appear at the opposite party’s convention.
Sen. Zell Miller (D-Georgia) spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2004. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, a onetime Democratic vice-presidential nominee, spoke at the Republican convention in 2008 on behalf of his friend, Sen. John McCain. And former congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-Illinois) spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2024, though he had left office by the time he appeared.
Fetterman and McCormick have forged a close relationship since McCormick’s election in 2024. They appeared together last year at the Edward Kennedy Institute in Boston to celebrate bipartisanship, and they have made public appearances together in recent weeks in Pennsylvania.
McCormick returned Fetterman’s praise Wednesday at the convention, drawing cheers from the crowd.
“How great is John Fetterman, right?” McCormick said after the video played. “Thank you Senator Fetterman for your friendship, thank you for your courage and thank you for all you do for Pennsylvania.”
Fetterman’s appearances on Fox News and pointed criticism of Democrats have helped make him popular with Republicans, even as he has mostly continued to vote with Democrats in the Senate.
Seventy-nine percent of Republicans in Pennsylvania have a favorable opinion of Fetterman, according to a New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College poll conducted last month. That’s higher than the share of Republicans who have a favorable view of McCormick, who almost always votes with his party.
Only 21 percent of Democrats hold a favorable opinion of Fetterman, and 67 percent hold an unfavorable opinion.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) has praised Fetterman, describing him as “a very good member of Congress.”
“The people in our caucus very much like and respect him,” Schumer told reporters in July. “We’re a big-tent party. We can have a lot of different views in that party.”
But some House Democrats have criticized Fetterman, including over his appearance at the convention.
“I know and I like John Fetterman, but he lost me last night with that stunt,” Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pennsylvania) told C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” on Thursday. “He, like me, should be talking about how do we make life more affordable for Americans.”
Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pennsylvania) said Sunday on NewsNation that he might challenge Fetterman if he seeks reelection in 2028.
“A year ago I labeled John Fetterman ‘Trump’s favorite Democrat,’” Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pennsylvania) wrote Wednesday on X. “Tonight, he yet again proves why.”
Fetterman has not backed down. His campaign circulated the video in a fundraising email Thursday with the subject line “Unity=Sanity.”
Fetterman has said repeatedly that he has no plan to switch parties despite his criticisms of Democrats for reflexively opposing Trump. “I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats,” Fetterman wrote in May in a Washington Post op-ed.
Still, he has found himself increasingly out of step with other Democrats on his staunch support for Israel. He is the only Democratic senator who has voted consistently against forcing Trump to end the war with Iran.
In July, Fetterman said the only way he would abandon his party is if it became “the anti-Israel party.”
“That’s when I would leave,” Fetterman said at an event organized by the Hill and NewsNation.
Liz Goodwin contributed to this report.
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