Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) issued a stark warning Wednesday, stating that while he has “no plans” to leave the Democratic Party, a complete abandonment of U.S. support for Israel would cross a red line that could force him out. Speaking at the Hill Nation Summit in Washington, Fetterman said, “If our party ever becomes — and just makes it official — the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me.”
Fetterman expressed bewilderment that Democrats, who share many values with Israel as a key democracy in the Middle East, would turn against a longtime ally. He pointed to growing criticism of U.S. aid to Israel from the party’s progressive base as a major concern. “My long-term concern has been with the Democratic Party, as I am a member of that, is that our party is going to back away and turn their back to Israel,” he said.
The senator cited recent events, including Democratic support for an amendment by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to cut $3.3 billion in annual security assistance to Israel. He noted that House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) opposed the amendment, while House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) supported it, highlighting a split in leadership. Fetterman argued that Clark’s vote reflects a broader trend within the party, as more primary winners adopt hostile stances toward Israel. “You look at the kinds of individuals that are winning our recent primaries. It’s becoming more anti-, anti-Israel and hostile to people who are pro-Israel,” he said.
Fetterman also criticized fellow Democrats who he believes are trying to appease an “intensely anti-Israel” segment of the party’s voters. He acknowledged being approached by Republicans about switching parties but declined to discuss those private conversations.
Turning to the Michigan Senate race, Fetterman warned that progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s strong polling could force Democrats to spend millions more to stay competitive. He noted that former Rep. Mike Rogers (R) narrowly lost the 2024 Michigan Senate race, and if El-Sayed wins the primary, “that puts Michigan much more in play for us and would require us to spend more money. What’s defined El-Sayed is the more anti-Israel and hostile-to-Israel thing.”
Fetterman also blasted El-Sayed and other progressives for revisiting the “defund the police” movement, questioning whether Democrats learned from the 2024 election loss. “Now here’s more Democrats to ‘defund the police.’ Here we are back to part of the worst impulses that we just can’t resist. We forgot the crazy things that we said, and that cost us the election in 2024,” he said.
The senator expressed anger over fellow Democrats backing Graham Platner in the Maine Senate race, despite troubling allegations. Platner ended his campaign after being accused of rape. Fetterman slammed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) for championing Platner and failing to apologize. “As a Democrat, I am angry at people like Bernie Sanders, that pushed that accused rapist,” Fetterman said, questioning the appeal of a candidate with “no record in public service” and “Nazi ink.”
Fetterman argued that Platner’s implosion has made it harder to defeat Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and win Senate control. He demanded accountability from colleagues who backed Platner, saying the race is now in chaos.
