Pro-Israel Democrat John Fetterman makes video appearance at GOP convention

Pennsylvania senator who has clashed with party over Israel support says he will reject ‘the extremes and socialism’.

Senator John Fetterman appears via video to introduce his colleague Dave McCormick during the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas, on September 9 [Brian Snyder/Reuters]

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat who has distanced himself from his party, has appeared in a video recording on the first day of the Republican Party’s two-day midterm convention in the United States.

The video on Wednesday was a surprise for those who attended the conservative gathering in Dallas, Texas, where President Donald Trump is seeking to galvanise support ahead of the November elections.

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“Yes, I’m Senator John Fetterman, Pennsylvania. Yes, I’m a Democrat. Why am I here talking to you today? Because, well, I’m a common-sense Democrat,” Fetterman said as he introduced his Republican colleague, Senator Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania.

Fetterman, a 57-year-old first-term senator, has cast himself as an outsider within the Democratic Party.

He has offered outspoken support for Israel and the war on Iran , even as voters and progressive voices in his party criticise those elements of US foreign policy.

“I’m always going to stand with America. I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life,” Fetterman said in the video clip.

But his appearance at the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention is likely to exacerbate criticism from his Democratic colleagues.

US Representative Brendan Boyle, another Pennsylvania Democrat, has repeatedly questioned Fetterman’s party allegiance, as well as his commitment to public service. He renewed that sentiment after Wednesday’s video aired.

“A year ago I labeled John Fetterman ‘Trump’s favorite Democrat.’ Tonight, he yet again proves why,” Boyle wrote on social media.

Fetterman has also faced questions about his fitness for office following a series of reports that detail his apparent lack of enthusiasm for his Senate responsibilities.

A recent Wall Street Journal article found that the senator had cancelled meetings with constituents.

In one case, The Wall Street Journal said he skipped a June meeting with injured military veterans, citing illness, only to show up later for a Fox News interview about Israel and its joint war with the US on Iran.

His approval rating is now higher among Republicans in Pennsylvania than among members of his own party.

Last month, a poll from The New York Times, Siena College and The Philadelphia Inquirer suggested that 73 percent of Pennsylvania Republicans approved of Fetterman’s performance, up from 25 percent in 2024.

Meanwhile, Democratic support in the state had slid dramatically over the last two years, slipping from 74 percent to 22 percent. Some 63 percent of Democratic respondents held an unfavourable view of him.

While Fetterman has depicted himself as a maverick within the Democratic Party, he has denied that he would switch parties to become a Republican.

“I’m not going to be a Republican, but I’m going to be a Democrat that’s going to have a conversation with whoever is playing it straight,” he said in a recent interview with Fox News.

Still, speculation about Fetterman’s party credentials has continued as the midterms near.

The election on November 3 will decide which party controls Congress for the final two years of Trump’s term.

Republicans currently hold a small majority in the House of Representatives and Senate, but they could face a setback at the polls as voters express frustration over cost of living issues and Trump’s deepening unpopularity.

Still, reclaiming the Senate especially could be an uphill climb for Democrats. Only a third of Senate seats are up for re-election this year, compared with all 435 House seats.

Fetterman is not up for re-election until 2028.

一位因支持以色列问题与党内发生冲突的宾夕法尼亚州参议员表示，他将拒绝“极端主义和社会主义”。

9月9日，在德克萨斯州达拉斯举行的共和党全国中期选举大会上，参议员约翰·费特曼通过视频连线介绍了他的同事戴夫·麦考密克。[布莱恩·斯奈德/路透社]

宾夕法尼亚州参议员约翰·费特曼是一位民主党人，他与自己的党派保持距离。在美国共和党为期两天的中期选举大会的第一天，他出现在一段视频录像中。

周三发布的这段视频让参加在德克萨斯州达拉斯举行的保守派集会的人们感到意外，唐纳德·特朗普总统正试图在11月大选前争取支持。

列表1/3：伊朗战争阴影笼罩着特朗普在达拉斯举行的共和党中期选举大会。

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“是的，我是宾夕法尼亚州参议员约翰·费特曼。是的，我是民主党人。我今天为什么会在这里和你们交谈呢？因为，嗯，我是一位务实的民主党人，”费特曼在介绍他的共和党同事，宾夕法尼亚州参议员戴夫·麦考密克时说道。

现年 57 岁、首次当选参议员的费特曼把自己塑造成民主党内的局外人。

尽管他的选民和党内进步人士批评美国外交政策的这些方面，但他仍然公开支持以色列和对伊朗的战争。

“我永远都会与美国站在一起。我永远都会反对极端主义、社会主义以及那种反美的生活方式，”费特曼在视频片段中说道。

但他出席共和党首次中期选举大会，可能会加剧民主党同僚对他的批评。

另一位宾夕法尼亚州民主党众议员布伦丹·博伊尔曾多次质疑费特曼的党派忠诚度以及他对公共服务的奉献精神。在周三的视频播出后，他再次表达了这种质疑。

“一年前，我称约翰·费特曼为‘特朗普最喜欢的民主党人’。今晚，他再次证明了这一点，”博伊尔在社交媒体上写道。

此前有一系列报道详细描述了费特曼对参议院职责明显缺乏热情，这也引发了人们对他是否胜任该职位的质疑。

《华尔街日报》最近的一篇文章发现，这位参议员取消了与选民的会面。

《华尔街日报》曾报道，他曾以生病为由缺席了 6 月份与受伤退伍军人的会面，但后来却出现在福克斯新闻的采访中，谈论以色列及其与美国联合对伊朗的战争。

目前，他在宾夕法尼亚州共和党人中的支持率高于他在自己党内成员中的支持率。

上个月，《纽约时报》、锡耶纳学院和《费城问询报》的一项民意调查显示，73%的宾夕法尼亚州共和党人认可费特曼的表现，高于2024年的25%。

与此同时，过去两年里，民主党在该州的支持率大幅下滑，从74%跌至22%。约63%的民主党受访者对他持负面看法。

尽管费特曼一直将自己描绘成民主党内的特立独行者，但他否认自己会转投共和党。

“我不会成为共和党人，但我会成为一名民主党人，我会和任何坦诚行事的人进行对话，”他在最近接受福克斯新闻采访时说道。

尽管如此，随着中期选举临近，关于费特曼的党内资历的猜测仍在继续。

11月3日的选举将决定哪个党派在特朗普剩余的两年任期内控制国会。

共和党目前在众议院和参议院仅占微弱多数，但由于选民对生活成本问题和特朗普日益低迷的支持率表示不满，他们可能会在选举中遭遇挫折。

然而，对民主党而言，重新夺回参议院的控制权可能尤其困难。今年参议院只有三分之一的席位需要改选，而众议院则有全部435个席位需要改选。

费特曼要到2028年才面临连任选举。