Over the course of the last decade, the Democratic Party has dropped any pretense of being the party dedicated to helping the “little guy” and has, instead, decided to define itself and unite its members beneath a banner of hating President-elect Donald Trump. However, with his latest victory — and the red wave of Republicans who took them to school in November — it seems that there are more than a few Democrats who are sick and tired of the obsession with despising Trump.
During an interview with ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl on “This Week,” Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania encouraged those in his party to “chill out” and went so far as to say he has “no regrets” about holding meetings with Trump’s Cabinet choices, including Pete Hegseth, who was nominated for Secretary of Defense, and FBI Director nominee Kash Patel.
“I have met with all of them so far,” Fetterman said, according to The Western Journal. “And the ones that we haven’t, they’re on the schedule back in January.” Karl went on to ask if Fetterman thought Hegseth was qualified for the position he’s been nominated for, to which he replied, “We’re gonna learn more.”
Fetterman’s full comments, however, suggested that Democrats cannot rely on him to vote against Hegseth. “The president picked these people,” the Pennsylvania senator said. “Not gonna be my first choice, second choice, third choice, but that’s democracy.”
“And, to me, it would be distressing if he is confirmed, if the Democrats are gonna turn our back collectively to the leader of Defense. That’s astonishing, and that’s dangerous,” he explained. The senator indicated similar openness to Kash Patel. He revealed the two of them chit-chatted about stories related to the immigration crisis impacting the nation and in their respective families.
“I have learned things, and I have heard things, and I have no regrets,” the senator told the anchor. “I’ve been warning people, like, ‘You gotta chill out,’” Fetterman stated about the collective mental illness that seems to emanate from Democrats who loathe Trump and have done so since 2016.
Cynics, of course, might speculate that Fetterman simply sees the political writing on the wall. “The support’s astonishing,” he said of voters’ enthusiasm for Trump in “red” Pennsylvania counties. According to the Associated Press, in the 2024 election Trump won the swing state by more than 120,000 votes. Thus, a Pennsylvania senator calculating his own political future might want to get on Trump’s good side.
On the other hand, to view things less cynically, senators absolutely should consider their constituents’ views. In that sense, self-interest and proper public service should dovetail. And on the issue of Trump’s Cabinet picks, at least, it appears that they have done so in Fetterman.
It’s also possible that many Democrats have always, ideologically speaking, been “middle-of-the-road,” and supported some of Trump’s policies, but up until now were afraid to be vocal about it. That fear could be fading fast away, providing those who are far less radical to start speaking their true minds.
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