While speaking at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Saturday, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) sparked laughter and jeers from the audience after mistakenly calling himself a “lifelong Republican.”
“Freudian slip by Fetterman?” asked Preston Hill, a conservative commentator and writer, in a social media post on X.
Fetterman was featured at the event as its closing keynote speaker and was asked by a member of the audience why he didn’t “become an independent” given the mounting accusations that he’s shifted toward the right and embraced President Donald Trump.
“Because I’m a lifelong Republican,” Fetterman said.
The moderator of the event, CBS News’ Major Garrett, corrected Fetterman by saying, “Democrat.”
Fetterman briefly stuttered before throwing his head back and laughing, sparking both laughter and jeers from the crowd.
“That’s a moment right there, that’s clippable, ladies and gentlemen!” Garrett said. “Circulate! Internet, spin wildly!”
Fetterman agreed that the moment would likely spread wildly online.
“I guarantee you that’s gonna break through, that’ll get clipped,” Fetterman said. “Yeah, I’m a lifelong Democrat though.”
Author Don Winslow argued that Fetterman “finally spoke the truth” with his slip-up, and Russell Foster, a former Democratic congressional nominee from Texas, argued Fetterman’s comment was telling.
“I don’t think in all my years I have ever slipped up and said that I was a lifelong Republican. That’s not something someone misspeaks,” Foster wrote in a social media post on X.
Fetterman’s standing among Pennsylvania Democrats has cratered since he took office in 2023, with the Pennsylvania Democrat having clashed with his own party on a number of issues, including Israel, the Iran war and border security. This month, Fetterman even made a video cameo at the GOP’s midterm convention, pledging to work with Trump to protect Pennsylvania’s steel industry.
Sen. @JohnFetterman (D-PA) says he is a “lifelong Republican” pic.twitter.com/8mJYKp3hMI — CSPAN (@cspan) September 27, 2026
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