John Fetterman Donors Want Their Money Back: He's Too Normal Now

I’m not sure exactly when it happened. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) is making a lot of people who were formerly critical of him suddenly find themselves in agreement with him. That includes me.

No one is more astounded than me. When John Fetterman was elected, I thought he was a far-left progressive married to an illegal immigrant. He was. Then he had a massive stroke. As he recovered, he continued to run for the Senate. He campaigned from his basement and his wife ran interference for him. She misled everyone into believing that he was fine and would be ready to go by election day. Gisele Fetterman is a Jill Biden wannabe.

Fetterman was not ok by election day. He won anyway. Trump insisted on Dr. Oz running for the Senate seat because Melania liked his television show or something. The rest is history. The Senate made special accommodations for Fetterman so he could communicate with his colleagues. He wasn’t expected to abide by the Senate dress code Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer passed a rule that dress code decorum could be suspended. There was never any indication that Fetterman asked for that special treatment but Schumer did it. Fetterman would just remain in the doorway and shout his vote when needed. He wouldn’t go on the floor inappropriately dressed.

About this time, current events in the news brought about some hot takes from the senator and many conservatives began to see Fetterman in a different light. He was delivering reasonable opinions. He’s cool with the Senate going back to its normal dress code after all of his colleagues (both sides of the aisle) complained. He wears a suit and tie now. I think that period may have shaken something loose with him.

Fetterman’s brightest shining moment recently is his unequivocal support for Israel as it battles Hamas for its very existence. He put up a wall of flyers of Israelis (and others) who were taken hostage on October 7 in his Senate office. He walked past a group of pro-Hamas supporters on Capitol Hill as he wore a small Israeli flag secured by the drawstring of his hoodie. He supports Israel destroying Hamas.

Yeah, he goes to bat for the non-existent two-state solution. I didn’t say he’s perfect now.

So, as he is going about being all reasonable and likable these days, progressives are furious. He did it when he declared that he isn’t a progressive and never has been a progressive. Yikes!

Unfortunately for Fetterman, there isn’t anything normal about today’s Democrats. That is why it is so noticeable when he acts like one, instead of just another progressive senator.

“I’m not a progressive,” Fetterman told NBC News. “I just think I’m a Democrat that is very committed to choice and other things. But with Israel, I’m going to be on the right side of that. And immigration is something near and dear to me, and I think we do have to effectively address it as well.”
On Monday, the Pennsylvania Democrat insisted in a post on X that he had rejected the progressive label during his Senate campaign. The post highlighted a video clip from 2022 in which he was asked if he was a progressive.
“No, I’m just a Democrat that has always run on what I believe and know to be true, and six years ago, that was considered progressive,” he said.

There is a community note at the end of this tweet that states he did campaign as a progressive Democrat.

“I’m not a progressive, I'm just a regular Democrat.” https://t.co/M1OER4beUI
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) December 18, 2023

Supporters feel betrayed and want their money back.

I want my Fetterman donation money back. What a spineless piece of work.
— Drew Morton @damorton.bsky.social (@thecinemadoctor) December 15, 2023

Fetterman should give all his donations back. Running as a progressive only to announce that you aren't progressive when you take office sometime later is just scamming people.
— Kay (@ShoNuffKay) December 15, 2023

Is Fetterman the new Senator Kyrsten Sinema? That is what progressive MSNBC commentator asked.

Progressive commentator Mehdi Hasan accused Fetterman of being like Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), a former Democrat who broke away from the party to become an independent after forcing negotiations and cuts along with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) on President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better signature bill.
“Fetterman going full Sinema. Totally unnecessary statement,” Hasan wrote. “And a total attack on the people who worked hard to elect him, defended him post GOP rows over his stroke and clothing etc.”

It is more likely that Fetterman is looking ahead. He won’t be up for re-election until 2028. However, on questions like support for Israel, acts of moral clarity will be remembered by voters. He flipped a red seat to a blue seat (thanks, Trump.) In the meantime, I’ll welcome some sanity in politics. Even from unlikely sources.

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