January 1, Trump Says He’d Love to Welcome Fetterman Into GOP

Wyatt’s Take

• Trump is open to bringing a Democrat who breaks ranks on Iran and immigration into the Republican fold.
• Fetterman is polling stronger when voters see him as a Republican instead of a party-line Democrat.
• The move could give Republicans another Senate seat and strengthen their majority heading into the next election.

President Donald Trump praised Sen. John Fetterman as a “great guy” and said he would welcome the Pennsylvania Democrat into the Republican Party.

Trump made the remarks after stepping off Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews when a reporter asked if he had spoken with Fetterman about switching parties.

“I’d love to see it. I think he’s great,” Trump responded.

“It’s going to be hard for him to get the nomination as a Democrat, but I’d love to have him as a Republican,” he continued.

Trump described Fetterman as a “great guy” with “magnificent parents,” whom he said he had spoken with previously.

“He’s a very solid person,” Trump added. “He’s smart and all that, but he’s got great common sense.”

Trump also suggested that switching parties could benefit Fetterman politically.

“If you look at the polls, he does better as a Republican than he does as a Democrat,” he said.

Fetterman has repeatedly broken with Democrats on key issues, including the Iran war and immigration, although he continues to vote with his party the vast majority of the time.

Since joining the Senate in 2023, Fetterman has voted with Senate Democrats nearly 90% of the time. During the current session of Congress, however, that figure has fallen to just under 81%, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Fetterman’s occasional breaks with his party have fueled speculation in recent months about whether he might eventually become a Republican. He has also reportedly used Republican fundraising platforms to solicit donations and maintains a close friendship with Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala.

Last month, Fetterman recorded a video introducing Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., at the Republican Midterm Convention.

He also mistakenly referred to himself as a lifelong Republican during an appearance at the Texas Tribune’s TribFest last month.

An attendee at the event asked why Fetterman did not run as an independent.

“Because I’m a lifelong Republican,” he said, before realizing his mistake. “I guarantee you that will break through. That will get clipped.”

Wyatt Matters

Heartland voters care about results, not party labels. When politicians show common sense on border security and national defense, working families welcome them aboard.