John Fetterman just said something about his party that he definitely didn’t mean to say. The Pennsylvania senator’s unexpected slip on stage left the crowd laughing and had him admitting it would go viral.
The Pennsylvania Democrat immediately corrected himself during the Texas Tribune Festival
Sen. John Fetterman mistakenly called himself a “lifelong Republican” at the Texas Tribune Festival, Fox News reported. The slip came on Saturday, September 26, when an attendee asked why he doesn’t run as an independent. The Pennsylvania Democrat quickly realized his mistake as the audience burst into laughter.
“Because I’m a lifelong Republican,” Fetterman said. He then added, “I guarantee you that will break through. That will get clipped.” Earlier, the senator delivered a keynote address criticizing both the Republican and Democratic parties.
Fetterman then explained why he has no plans to join the Republican Party. “I don’t have a reason to,” he said. He continued, “But for a big-tent situation, it’s easier to be included in that big tent to say America deserved 9/11 or America is worse than Al-Qaida than being very proud to stand on the side of Israel.”
However, he admitted he sees no path for himself as a Republican. “If the Democratic Party votes me out or expels me, they’re always entitled to do that,” he said. Meanwhile, Republicans have openly welcomed him after he floated leaving his caucus. Speculation grew earlier this month when he appeared in a video at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention. In the video, he introduced his colleague, Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa.
Fetterman won his Senate seat in 2022 after defeating Dr. Mehmet Oz in a tight race. He ran on a progressive platform at the time. His victory helped Democrats clinch a historically thin Senate majority.
Since then, he has repeatedly challenged his party’s direction. He’d previously warned that he would leave the party if Democrats got too deep in anti-Israel positions. He has also criticized the rise of far-left progressives, such as Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, this midterm cycle.
