Fetterman’s surprise appearance – and praise of his fellow Pennsylvania senator, Republican Dave McCormick – raised fresh questions over his loyalty to, and future inside, the Democratic party.
In a statement later on Wednesday, Fetterman insisted that he would not switch 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,” he added.
But his appearance at the Republican event nevertheless triggered a wave of Democratic criticism.
“My constituents and folks all over Pennsylvania are pretty frustrated with John Fetterman,” said Chris Deluzio, a Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania. “They’re pretty disappointed. I’ve been all over not just my district of Pennsylvania, trying to help us flip the most competitive congressional races. And John Fetterman is nowhere to be found.
“And frankly, folks don’t want him on the trail,” Deluzio added. “He’s spending his time, frankly, going on rightwing media to bash the Democrats.”
Fetterman has repeatedly frustrated his colleagues by appearing on Fox News, the rightwing cable network.
The former representative Conor Lamb – whom Fetterman beat in the party’s 2022 primary race for US Senate – said the video had “all the persuasiveness of a North Korean newscast”.
Lamb is one of several Pennsylvania Democrats who say they are weighing running for Senate in 2028, when Fetterman will be up for re-election. Lamb said party officials in the state had “already assumed Fetterman is a non-factor” in the race.
Commentator Stephen A Smith also weighed in, accusing Fetterman of having spat in the faces of Democrats.
“It’s another thing entirely to be a Democrat and be a part of a hype video at a Republican convention,” he said. “That is just pretty much spitting in the face of Democrats who elected you to office.”
On the other hand, the Democratic senator Peter Welch of Vermont, who is close with Fetterman, said in a statement to Politico before the convention appearance that commenting on Fetterman’s future in the party was a “waste of energy”.
“John Fetterman is a friend and an important member of our caucus,” Welch said. “It’s a waste of energy to get spun up about his voting record or place in our party – he votes with us 90% of the time.”
Republicans, however, have made clear they are trying to recruit Fetterman. McCormick publicly defended him amid the latest round of Democratic backlash, and John Thune, the US Senate majority leader, told reporters recently that he and other Republican senators had had “conversations” with Fetterman and “would welcome the opportunity” to have him join the GOP.
Democrats need to pick up four GOP-held Senate seats in November’s midterm elections to regain the majority. If Fetterman were to join the Republican party, Democrats would need to pick up another seat to have control of the chamber.
