Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said Wednesday that the Democratic base has shifted toward positions he characterizes as "increasingly anti-American," pointing to progressive advocacy for Cuba, Venezuela and Iran as examples of a change within his party since 2016.
The comments came during an interview on Reason Magazine's podcast with Nick Gillespie. Fetterman, who backed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the 2016 Democratic primary, said his own political views have remained consistent while the party has moved in directions he finds troubling.
"In 2016, it was much more about the minimum wage and some other very basic kinds of things," Fetterman said. "And now that's just turned into much more standing with like Cuba, standing with Venezuela, standing with the Iranian regime and turning that into much more becoming increasingly anti-American for me."
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans have pointed to Fetterman's comments as evidence of a broader realignment in American politics, with some arguing that traditional Democratic constituencies are indeed moving away from interventionist foreign policies.
Conservative commentators noted that Fetterman's acknowledgment of union members shifting toward President Trump aligns with voting patterns seen in 2024. The Pennsylvania senator himself acknowledged that "traditional union members have already left the Democratic Party," describing it as a "serious realignment of parts of our base."
Some Republican strategists have used such statements from moderate Democrats to argue that the party is out of step with working-class voters who backed Trump in key swing states. Fetterman's comments about losing in 2024 and the "excess" of the party summoning a second Trump term have been cited by conservatives as validation of their electoral approach.
What the Left Is Saying
Other Democrats have pushed back on Fetterman's characterization, arguing that skepticism toward military intervention overseas reflects mainstream American values rather than anti-American sentiment.
Progressive groups note that opposition to U.S. involvement in Venezuela, Iran and Cuba has existed across party lines historically. Some Democratic strategists argue that Fetterman's comments reflect his own shift toward the center more than any fundamental change in the party's core positions on foreign policy.
Fetterman has also faced criticism from within his own party for other stances, including his support for Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza and his advocacy for border security measures. He has called progressive opposition to AI development "lunacy" and been vocal about feeling isolated from colleagues who hold different views on foreign policy and technology.
What the Numbers Show
Union membership has declined steadily over decades, dropping from roughly 20% of workers in 1983 to approximately 10% in 2024, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. However, union members and their families remain a significant voting bloc in industrial swing states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Exit polling from the 2024 election showed Trump making gains with Hispanic voters and maintaining strong support among white working-class males, groups traditionally targeted by both parties for union outreach. Fetterman's comments reflect concerns long voiced by Democratic strategists about these shifting allegiances.
Polling from Gallup has shown declining support for U.S. military intervention abroad across party lines in recent years, though Republicans generally maintain higher favorability ratings for traditional American alliances than progressive Democrats.
The Bottom Line
Fetterman's remarks highlight ongoing tensions within the Democratic Party between its progressive base and more moderate members. His assertion that "what's really changed is the party" rather than his own positions encapsulates a debate that has played out since at least 2016, when Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign first brought democratic socialist ideas into mainstream Democratic discourse.
The senator has insisted he has not changed politically since winning former Sen. Pat Toomey's (R-Pa.) seat in 2022, arguing in a recent Washington Post op-ed that elected Democrats "cannot simply be the opposite of whatever President Donald Trump says." His comments on Reason suggest those tensions remain unresolved as the party navigates its identity heading into future electoral cycles.