Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman said Monday that he is “tired of the venom” in the American political climate after “The View” co-host Ana Navarro criticized his visit with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Fetterman became the first Democratic senator to accept an invitation to meet with Trump in early January, stating that it is “reasonable” to have a “conversation” with the then-upcoming president. Navarro said she did not like the “optics” of the Democratic senator traveling to the president’s residence in West Palm Beach, Florida, prompting Fetterman to argue in favor of more bipartisanship.
“I understand the need for bipartisanship, I didn’t love the optics of you going to Mar-a-Lago, which is [Trump’s] palace. He was going to be in Washington a week later. But, what was your goal and do you feel, ultimately, you were successful?” Navarro asked.
“Well, here’s what happened. I was being lazy on the couch on Friday night and my team reached out saying ‘Hey, I don’t know if this is like a troll or a hoax, but they extended an invitation, what do you think?’ If they’re playing it straight, then I think it’s pretty reasonable to have a conversation, inviting me to engage and I visited. So maybe some people would be critical of that, but for me, engaging the president, I think when you’re in this business, that’s part of the job. Anymore you would criticize [Democratic California] Governor [Gavin] Newsom [who] received the president there after the fires. They are going to find a way to work together. I mean, that’s where we are.”
“And I hope if you were watching, [people] are tired of the venom and the hate and I’d like some more bipartisan kinds of things,” the senator continued. “And you are going to agree with things and disagree on things, and I’m gonna pick my fights.” The live audience responded to Fetterman’s comments in brief applause.
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Fetterman has broken from his party over his support for several of Trump’s cabinet picks, becoming the first Democrat to meet with Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth weeks ahead of his confirmation hearing. He ultimately voted along party lines by casting a ballot against Hegseth’s confirmation on the Senate floor Friday night, prompting Vice President J.D. Vance to break the tie and confirm Hegseth.
Fetterman voted in favor of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s nomination and expressed his intent to vote for Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who Trump nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
The senator further became the first Democrat to co-sponsor the Laken Riley Act, which would require federal immigration authorities to detain illegal immigrants convicted of theft-related crimes and allow states to sue the Department of Justice over migrants harming U.S. citizens.
The Democratic senator also said during a Dec. 5 appearance on “The View” that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump was “politically motivated” and that a pardon for the president over that case would be appropriate.
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