Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) took to the airwaves over the weekend to explain how the Democratic party “lost” its way on certain issues leading up to the election.
These issues include border security, the war in Israel and the war in Ukraine. Fetterman spoke about these issues on “Fox News Sunday.”
“Well, one area where we kind of lost ourselves was the border,” Feyterman said. “And I’ve been on this network, you know, months, months ago saying, ‘Hey, you know, it can’t be controversial for our party to have pro-immigration, but we need a secure border.’ And when we ask or demand people to not believe what they see, and see those kind of numbers, that that’s not a problem. It’s like, well, then you lose about that 100%,”
Fetterman put the numbers into terms that are easy to understand.
“I’ve tried to describe – you have up to 300,000 people – encounters – per month. And I put that in perspective with Pennsylvania. I’m like, that’s the size of Pittsburgh showing up in one month,” Fetterman said.
“It’s like, what’s going to happen for those folks? If we want them [to have] the American Dream for those people, how can we possibly deliver that? Where do they go?” Fetterman said. “And we can’t pretend that that’s not a significant issue. And we got to address that.”
The senator said another way Democrats have lost their way on Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists following the attacks on Oct. 7.
Fetterman said Israel’s effort against Hamas and Ukraine’s fight against Russia are two “just” wars that remain ongoing.
Fetterman said he “never supported a cease-fire, and that was the right thing” regarding Israel.
“I said I was going to follow Israel. And since they refused to have that cease-fire, they have eliminated and broken Hamas, and Hezbollah, Hezbollah was supposed to be like the ultimate bada– in the Middle East, and now they were a bunch of Keystone Cops, and Iran has just been exposed, as you know, they really can’t fight about anything,” the senator said. “So that’s been a significant development here.”
He then talked about what was happening in Ukraine.
“And with respect to Ukraine, Ukraine was invaded, and for me, for me, it’s about standing on the side of democracy,” Fetterman said. “And I was very supportive about that aid. And I don’t understand if the other side would stop delivering that kind of aid. That’s a disagreement, but I’ve been very, very clear supporting Israel and Ukraine.”
Host Gillian Turner then steered the subject to President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team which has been touted as the most pro-Israel in American history.
The possible new administration includes Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., tapped to become secretary of state, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., nominated for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Huckabee, chosen as U.S. ambassador to Israel, and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., as national security adviser.
“In terms of the incoming administration, I actually like what I see in terms of being very, very strong pro-Israel,” Fetterman said.
He said Israel has made “magnificent kinds of progress… generating longer term peace by destroying Hamas, Hezbollah, and demonstrating that Iran, really, doesn’t have the kind of capability to deliver any kinds of damage.”
Fetterman implied he would support Rubio, and possibly Dr. Mehmet Oz, who Fetterman defeated for a spot in the Senate.
Fetterman said “it got kinda ugly” in his campaign against Oz, but he “doesn’t have any kind of bitterness” and “is open to dialogue.”
“I’m not sure why that’s controversial,” he added.
“I’m not going to pre-hate. I’m not going to pre-hate a lot of these things, and I’m not going to pre-hate this,” Fetterman said. “I’m going to have an open conversation for anyone, that I’m open to having part of that conversation.”
