President Donald Trump and the GOP have found an unlikely ally in Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, who is stepping further into the White House orbit.
In a wide-ranging interview on Monday with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo, the Democrat echoed much of the rhetoric coming from the Trump administration on both the unfolding war with Iran and the ongoing partial government shutdown.
As the U.S. seeks to enlist its allies to help re-open the Strait of Hormuz to oil tanker traffic, following Iran’s closure of the critical energy route, Fetterman backed the president’s view that the war has been won.
“I largely agree with what the president said that Iran has essentially been defeated,” Fetterman told Bartiromo, joining the White House in calling for international support at the strait.
“They need to be part of that solution now, too,” he said.
The Democrat also mused about the status of Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since taking power. Fetterman likened the situation to the 1989 film Weekend at Bernie’s, where a dead man is paraded around, convincing others he is still alive.
“I think the Iranians are doing Weekend at Ayatollah’s,” he added.
Fetterman has gained national attention for rebuffing the Democratic Party in support of the GOP on a number of high-profile issues.
He was the only member of his party not to sign a letter demanding answers about the February 28 bombing of an Iranian girls’ school. A preliminary investigation has determined American forces were responsible for the mistaken strike, according to The New York Times. The death toll has reached at least 175 people.
Fetterman defended his position during a combative interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
On Monday, Fetterman explained why he is so consistently at odds with his colleagues.
“I take no pleasure in constantly voting against the majority of my caucus,” he said. “For me, I’m going to follow truths that are all embedded in country over party and what the base demands.”
Now, the most consequential showdown yet between Fetterman and Democratic leadership may be fast approaching.
The 56-year-old has been fiercely opposed to the current partial government shutdown, which took effect after Democrats refused to approve new funding for the Department of Homeland Security over its aggressive immigration enforcement operations.
“This is the wrong thing. It was always the wrong thing to shut our government down,” Fetterman said Monday, pointing to the TSA agents across the country who have been without a paycheck for weeks.
With Kristi Noem gone from her perch atop DHS, Fetterman is breaking with many Democrats in throwing his support behind Republican’s nominee to the post, Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin.
Fetterman said he will support Mullin for DHS secretary, adding that he had a good conversation with the senator. “I want to work with him,” he said.
Still, it’s not all Fetterman versus Democrats.
He has stuck by his party on the SAVE America Act, a sweeping bill requiring Americans to show proof of citizenship upon registering to vote and photo ID at the polls. The bill also calls for a federal review of voter rolls to stop ineligible voters from casting a ballot.
While Fetterman distanced himself from some Democrats, like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer who called the legislation “Jim Crow 2.0,” he said he would not vote for the current version passed by the House.
“It’s needlessly complicated,” Fetterman said.
The Senate is preparing to vote on the legislation this week.
