Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said he did consider himself a “progressive” politician, but that label no longer applies.
The Pennsylvania senator was talking in reference to those who are saying he is not who people thought he was.
“I’m not a progressive, I just identified myself as a regular Democrat,” Fetterman said to CNN’s Dana Bash, Fox News reported. “Now, eight years ago, I was a progressive, but the situation’s changed and I‘ve been very clear that I didn‘t leave that label. That label leaved [left] me and I think it’s much more important to be focusing on Donald Trump instead of those kinds of purity tests and those kinds of issues.”
Fetterman has been a strong supporter of Israel and has been concerned about border security, breaking away from other Democrats on those issues.
Fetterman also responded to Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who told CNN on Tuesday that President Biden was using the “same tools as Donald Trump” in the border control crisis.
“She’s entitled to her own opinion, but it does also seem like some of the harshest words for the president in this situation seems to be more coming from very safe, and blue, very kinds of places. Now in Pennsylvania, border security is an important issue and we do all believe that we should have a secure border, and I never thought it was unreasonable for any Democrat to want to make our border more secure,” he said.
Fetterman also said the progressives in his party, are hoping he “dies” over his stance on Israel and border security.
Chad Pergram from Fox News spoke to Fetterman earlier about his opinion on immigration and Israel.
“When you started just following the numbers that are coming again and then when you’ve reached 200,000 or 250,000 folks that are encountered at the border — I mean that’s astonishing,” he said. “And then just putting that in the context of Pennsylvania. I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness. That’s nearly the size of Pittsburgh.’ And that’s our second-largest city. You can be very pro-immigration, but also demand and require that we have a secure border there as well too. I don’t know why that’s really controversial for a Democrat or any American to be pro-immigration.”
