Fetterman Faces the Party-Switch Question That Won't Go Away

Besides President Donald Trump laying out all of his successes from his first year back in office at Tuesday night's State of the Union address, the evening produced another very stark reality — the reality of who/what the Democrat Party really is. If it wasn't apparent already that the curtain had been yanked back, Tuesday left little doubt. Whether it was Texas Rep. Al Green (D-09) not lasting five minutes before being bounced out of the Chamber, not standing for the people they should have, or outbursts from the likes of Ilhan Omar (MN-05) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Americans now know exactly who and what the Democrat Party is.

Thank you John Fetterman for being the only reasonable Democrat with common sense. pic.twitter.com/RDg852FTrJ
— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephant) February 14, 2026

However, Democrats do not have everyone falling in lock step with the party's out-of-touch positions. No one would have guessed that after the 2022 election, the voice of reason would be Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA). And on Wednesday, he was asked the question he should probably get used to hearing.

Fetterman appeared on CNN's "The Arena" with host Kassie Hunt. Fetterman discussed the fact that he had flipped his Pennsylvania Senate seat from red to blue and what might transpire as far as flipping more Senate seats in the 2026 midterm election. It was here that Hunt asked, "And you still fully intend to continue to be part of the Democratic Party, no matter what?" Fetterman playfully chided her, saying, "We've talked about this."

John Fetterman has established a pattern of bucking his own party. He has called out Democrats for such things as opposing voter ID and opposing spending bills that led to government shutdowns, and he has been a consistent supporter of Israel. But in general, the biggest problem for the left is that he has just not opposed Donald Trump enough. He has also denounced his fellow Democrats who habitually call Trump and his supporters "Nazis" and "fascists." He told Fox News Channel's Maria Bartiromo back in September, "If you want a Democrat that’s going to call people Nazis or fascists or all these kinds of thing[s], well, I’m not going to be that guy."

BREAKING 🚨 Democrat Senator John Fetterman just EXPOSED the Democrat Party badly by saying:

"If someone's ANGRY that I shook the president's hand as he walked in? You know, that's on THEM”

Fetterman is the ONLY common sense Democrat

The Democrat Party is collapsing pic.twitter.com/w0CJ9yoCDs
— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) February 25, 2026

But Fetterman's calling out of his own party has also verified their hypocrisy. When the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) would buck the GOP, Democrats and the media thought it was cool and referred to him as a "maverick." John Fetterman is not getting the same treatment for thinking for himself. In fact, as far back as October of 2025, Pennsylvania Democrats began plotting a primary challenge for Fetterman, who is not up for reelection until 2028.

Fetterman answered Hunt, saying:

"It's like, the numbers bear it out. I vote in the 90 percents. I mean, you can look it up; it's a fact. I'm not changing the party, and I might clap for some things that I agree, but when you represent Pennsylvania, that's there, I mean, we'd all love, like a blue state, then you know, then you really just have to talk to one side, but for me, it's a special responsibility if you represent Pennsylvania, that, you know, we have to find a way forward."

ALSO READ: Working Families Party Says Fetterman Forgot Who Brung Him to the Dance and Now Want to Primary Him

Kassie Hunt is not the first to ask Fetterman if he has considered switching parties. Bartiromo also asked, and Fetterman replied, “No, I’m not going to switch, but I’m just going to be an independent voice in the Democratic Party."

Republicans would love the seat pick-up, but it is highly unlikely that Fetterman would switch parties. What might be more plausible is that he would become an independent. The problem there is that he would most certainly caucus with Democrats.

So, for now, Democrats are stuck with "maverick" John Fetterman. Bet they don't think it's cool anymore.

John Fetterman is the ONLY Democrat who actually stepped up and shook hands with President Trump. Let that sink in. pic.twitter.com/19aFMyEbwe
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) February 25, 2026

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