John Fetterman

'All of them have been puppets'

“There’s no telling with any certainty what Fetterman’s motivations are.“

A change passed Wednesday mandates the federal detention of any undocumented migrant accused of assaulting a cop

Sen. John Fetterman’s (D-Pa.) open-minded approach to President-elect Trump is fueling questions about his motives and vexing some of his fellow Democrats. In the wake of Trump’s victory in November, Fetterman has emerged as a critic of his own party’s messaging, while also signaling a willingness to entertain some of the incoming administration’s policy ideas. [...]

'You could have gotten to know me'

Democratic lawmakers’ reaction to Donald Trump’s incoming administration has been decidedly more subdued this time around. In 2017, Democrats spearheaded a resistance movement, boycotted Trump’s inauguration, and ripped into him whenever they could, but now some members of the minority party just aren’t putting up a fight.For instance, on Thursday, the Senate voted to advance the GOP-crafted Laken Riley Act, which gives the Department of Homeland Security the authority to detain and potentially deport undocumented immigrants who have merely been charged—not yet convicted—of nonviolent crimes, like burglary, shoplifting, or theft. It also greatly expands the power of state attorneys general, allowing them to sue the federal government if they think immigration policies have harmed their states or its residents. Thirty-one Democrats voted in favor of advancing the bill, joining all voting Republicans. Only nine voted against it. The bill is scheduled to proceed, likely to a final vote, on Monday.Since the House passed the bill this past Tuesday (with some Democratic support), it’s all but sure to get approved under Trump, who has promised to enact mass deportations after his inauguration on Jan. 20.Pennsylvania Sen. John FettermanAnd it doesn’t stop there. Some Democratic lawmakers are champing at the bit to work the MAGA movement, such as Reps. Jared Moskowitz and Greg Landsman, who have both joined the “DOGE Caucus.” At least one former progressive darling, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, has essentially surrendered to Trump, saying he’ll back the president-elect’s far-right Cabinet picks and plans to visit him at Mar-a-Lago soon. And other usually reasonable lawmakers are readily backing some of Trump’s viciously anti-immigrant platform.On the one hand, some Democrats are strategically moving toward voters’ preferences, particularly regarding a stricter stance on immigration. Many have decided that the reasonable answer to losing the presidency and Senate is to find compromises with Republicans to achieve progress where they can. But there’s one major flaw in this strategy: Helping Trump succeed only enforces his power. An embrace of Trumpism will only further embed it in our fragile political system and collective psyche. Some in the party are becoming accomplices in a fait accompli they ostensibly oppose.

President-elect Trump’s talk of territorial expansion has rattled world leaders at an already precarious time in global politics. Trump doubled down last week on his suggestions that the U.S. buy Greenland, take control of the Panama Canal and make Canada “the 51st state.” He declined to rule out “military or economic” coercion against either Greenland [...]

Trump continues to fill out his administration in the days lading up to his inauguration.

At least 8 Senate Democrats are expected to vote to advance the Laken Riley Act, which requires federal authorities to detain illegal immigrants found guilty of theft-related crimes.

'The Laken Riley Act is good bipartisan legislation'

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., speaks during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in November.

Fetterman expresses openness to the possibility of the U.S. acquiring Greenland, and declares that he will support the Laken Riley Act

When President Joe Biden said he wanted Democrats to reach across the aisle, is this what he meant? On Tuesday, the House passed the Laken Riley Act, a GOP-led bill requiring the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with certain crimes. Of the 264 votes in favor of the bill were 48 Democratic defectors.Republican Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia introduced the legislation, and Donald Trump used the case as a central issue of his campaign, stating that his mass deportation strategy will begin on “day one” of his second term. Since being elected, Trump has promised sweeping action on immigration. Those of all political stripes are moving right on immigration. A recent brief from Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed that 69 percent of Republican voters want the government to prioritize immigration, a 14 percent increase from last year. Immigration was the second most pressing issue for Democrats, at 32 percent, just four points behind climate change.As the Laken Riley Act heads to the Senate, it remains uncertain whether it will pass with a slim GOP majority. But Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania said he supports the bill. “Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people,” Fetterman said in a statement to CNN. “No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence. Immigration is what makes our country great. I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system.”The bill would detain undocumented immigrants who have been charged with burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. It would also allow attorneys general to sue the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security if an immigrant on parole or bail harms a state or its citizens.Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, who introduced the Senate bill, presided over a second reading of the bill, stating that it would be added to the calendar.“It’s high time the Senate pass[es] it,” she wrote on X.Republican Sens. John Thune of South Dakota and Ted Budd of North Carolina joined Britt in supporting the Senate bill. In its new session, the entire Senate Republican Conference—including Vice President-elect JD Vance—has cosponsored the Laken Riley Act. Though it’s unclear whether the bill will pass, the growing support from both sides of the aisle signals that immigration reform could remain a key issue for the next four years. Campaign Action

The Pennsylvania senator shaded his own party in a Fox News interview.

Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona is backing the GOP's Laken Riley Act, joining two other Democrats who have pledged to support it during a floor vote on Friday.

RFK Jr. begins meeting with Senate Democrats this week as his coalition for getting confirmed to HHS secretary remains uncertain.

'It is vital the senate confirms President Elect Trump's national security nominees swiftly'

The quick action reflected how Republicans in Congress are using their power to revive and pass a raft of border security measures.

President Joe Biden’s decision to block Nippon Steel’s proposed purchase of U.S. Steel was a political act made in “clear violation of due process and the law,” the two companies said Friday, signaling that a courtroom fight is imminent.

Several senators join the Appropriations, Judiciary, Finance, Foreign Relations, and Commerce Committees, where they will gain new influence over policy.

A shocking story about a Texas congresswoman came out recently. A local reporter got a tip that, after quietly missing months of votes on Capitol Hill, Republican U.S. Rep. Kay Granger had moved into Traditions Senior Living, an assisted-living facility...

Trump continues to fill out his administration in the weeks leading up to his inauguration.

Kash Patel is poised to do terrible damage to the country if he runs the FBI.

“So, you know, pack a lunch, pace yourself, because he hasn't even taken office yet," Fetterman said.

The Pennsylvania senator said he won't be "rooting against" the president-elect once he's back in the White House either.

Trump continues to fill out his administration in the weeks leading up to his inauguration.

Republicans and Democrats are concerned about Kennedy's views on issues including vaccinations, pesticides, and abortion.

Sen.-elect Dave McCormick was one of the first Republicans to test-drive the party's main strategy against Kamala Harris.

As Donald Trump battles his conviction, New York's governor holds the key to a pardon. But will remorse be the deciding factor in this high-stakes saga?

A small, bipartisan group of senators have been quietly sketching out a possible new border deal for early 2025, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Border and immigration reform is the white whale of Congress. It's also President-elect Trump's No. 1 priority.Top Senate Republicans plan to move quickly on a border package, using the budget reconciliation process to get it done.But the idea of a bipartisan border deal that could get 60 votes has popped up as GOP infighting drags on over the best path forward in Trump's first 100 days.Zoom in: At least two Trump-state Democrats have been involved in the conversations, which Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) described as "very" serious and the details "very secret."Zoom in: "If we can do border separately — without reconciliation — then [Trump's] okay with" one reconciliation package, Mullin, who's been a key link between Trump, the Senate and the House, told Axios.Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) is one of those Democrats.: "If there's willingness to work in a bipartisan way to do some stuff, not only on border security, but on immigration reform, I think it would be great." Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who is up for reelection next cycle, told Axios of the bipartisan border talks: "We're gonna be certainly engaged in efforts to make that happen.""There are all kinds of conversations — and I hope to be a part of them as they continue — aiming at comprehensive immigration reform," Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said.Between the lines: Politics have shifted on the border, with many Democrats — especially in states Trump won — moving to the right and embracing stricter enforcement measures to stem illegal border crossings and drug smuggling.Trump may have further made an opening by suggesting he would be willing to provide protections for DACA recipients —people who illegally entered the country as children."We have to do something about the Dreamers because these are people that have been brought here at a very young age," Trump said in an interview earlier this month.That has long been the top immigration priority for Democrats.Flashback: It was just last year that another bipartisan border deal was being hashed out by Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)Despite serious concessions from both sides, the bill failed on the floor — in part because Trump wanted to campaign on the issue and didn't want to give Biden a win.Reconciliation could allow Senate Republicans to pass budget-related border measures with just 50 votes, rather than having to meet the 60-vote filibuster threshold. But there are limits on what they could do.What to watch: There seems to be even more Democrats who would be willing to join conversations about a bipartisan border package.Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), who — along with Trump — won in her state this year, told us she'd "like to be part of those conversations."Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) said conversations about a bipartisan border deal wouldn't surprise him, saying "we've been clear as Democrats in the Senate that we're willing to work with our Republican colleagues to solve this problem."Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) also said he would support such a move. "I've been very clear that we need a secure border, absolutely... but also, I read that the President-elect even discussed protecting through DACA."

President-elect Donald Trump, who has long mocked “haters and losers,” seems to have no issue with filling his incoming administration with them. More than a dozen of his appointees ran for political office at least once and were often soundly rejected by voters. Late Tuesday, Trump announced his nomination of Herschel Walker to be the U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas, turning to a longtime ally and former National Football League star for the role. Walker first gained national political attention in 2022, when he tried and failed to unseat Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia. Georgia, in particular, seems to be a ripe hunting ground for finding political losers. In addition to Walker, Trump tapped former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (who was unseated by Warnock in 2021) to run the Small Business Administration. And former Sen. David Purdue (who lost his seat to Sen. Jon Ossoff that same year) was nominated to be ambassador to China under Trump’s incoming administration. In some instances, the president-elect even turned to Georgians who were rejected by their own party’s voters. In November, for instance, he asked former Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, who tried and failed to unseat Loeffler in the crowded 2020 Senate race, to lead the Veterans Affairs Department. (In the 2020 Senate race, Collins came in third. His defeat made it so Loeffler and Warnock ended up going head-to-head in a subsequent runoff.)Many—if not all—of these folks ran for office with Trump’s stamp of approval. Now that they lost, they seem to be receiving the ultimate consolation prize from the president-elect.Beyond those from the Peach State, Trump also selected perennial loser Kari Lake, a former local TV anchor who lost two statewide races in Arizona, to lead Voice of America. It’s unclear whether Lake will have any power here, but the MAGA politician who seemingly has a bone to pick with journalists might now be in charge of the government-funded international broadcaster. Lake is a particularly interesting addition to Trump’s administration since she’s shown her unique brand of fealty to the president-elect. She literally vacuumed the red carpet Trump was about to walk on, and told audiences on the same night that Trump has “BDE.” (Google this acronym if you’re unfamiliar with it, but be warned: This might not be safe to do at work!) Kari Lake, who has twice lost statewide races in ArizonaTrump also picked Mehmet Oz, the former heart surgeon turned TV host commonly known as Dr. Oz, for his second administration. Oz lost a 2022 Senate race in Pennsylvania, in which he had Trump’s backing, to Democrat John Fetterman by 5 percentage points. But come next year, the Republican will likely lead the hugely important agency that oversees health insurance programs for tens of millions of Americans.Other notable losers who might join the federal government next year include some who attempted to challenge Trump for the presidency or Republican nomination.Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (who was chosen to lead the Department of Health and Human Services) and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (tapped to be the next director of national intelligence) are former U.S. presidential candidates. Gabbard ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020, and Kennedy for the same nomination last year before switching to an independent bid. He later ended that bid as well and endorsed Trump.Then there’s Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a two-time loser by Trump’s standards. Not only did Rubio drop out of the 2016 presidential primary after losing his home state to Trump, but also during the throes of that year’s presidential competition, Trump not-so-affectionally referred to the senator as “Little Marco” and called him a “choker.” Now he’s not only a “Highly Respected Leader,” according to Trump; he’s also the president-elect’s pick to be the next secretary of state.Some lesser-known losers asked to fill Trump’s administration include outgoing Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina, to be deputy budget director; one-term Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon, to be secretary of labor; and former Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, to be the next U.S. ambassador to Canada.This list is not exhaustive, and it may grow from here. In early December, Trump met with Blake Masters about leading the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Masters lost both the 2022 Senate race in Arizona as well as a Republican primary for the state’s 8th District this year.In some respects, it’s not all that unusual for a president to appoint people who haven’t been successful in electoral politics to their administration. After all, former President Barack Obama appointed Hillary Clinton to be his secretary of state after he beat her in the 2008 Democratic primary. President Joe Biden, too, made Pete Buttigieg, whom Biden faced in the 2020 Democratic primary, his secretary of transportation. But the sheer number of incoming Trump appointments who have a history of losing at the ballot box is eye-popping, particularly since they’ll now be working for a guy who claims to love winning. It’s probably not a coincidence that Trump plans to surround himself with a bunch of literal losers, though. No one will be more loyal to the president-elect than those about to fade into obscurity.Campaign Action

Sen. John Fetterman suggested that it is his duty to meet with President-elect Donald Trump's nominees, and noted that he plans to make confirmation votes with an informed perspective.

Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok, leaves a meeting in Sen. John Fetterman’s office in March, one month before Congress enacted the sale or ban.

Nunes, chief executive of Trump-owned Truth Social, was announced as the president-elect's nominee for chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has become a voice of bipartisanship, making moves that he tells Axios are "responsible and completely appropriate" — but that are putting him on an island, apart from other Democrats.As the vast majority of Democrats on Capitol Hill fume over many of Donald Trump's Cabinet picks and his for a second term, Fetterman is showing a rare willingness to engage with parts of MAGA world.Why it matters: It's easy to think Fetterman could be a new version of Democrat-turned-independent Joe Manchin, a West Virginian who occasionally has frustrated Democrats and the Biden administration with his legislative demands. That would be wrong. Fetterman — the casually attired challenger of the Senate's suit-and-tie tradition — is a reliable Democratic vote who's emerging as an independent voice within his party simply by emphasizing the need to talk more with the other side.Driving the news: This week, Fetterman became the first Democratic senator to agree to meet with Trump's embattled pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth.Fetterman's decision to meet with Hegseth is likely to face backlash from some of his Democratic colleagues who are infuriated by Trump's choice of Hegseth, who's battling allegations involving drinking and sexual misconduct.What he's saying: But Fetterman, who has shrugged as the progressive wing of his party tossed darts his way over his strong support for Israel during the Gaza war, told Axios that he sees meeting with Hegseth as an important part of the democratic process — and good politics.If Hegseth is "going to be the head of one of the most important parts of our government, then do you think I'm doing a job by flipping anyone off and saying, 'I'm not going to talk to him or just have a conversation?' " he asked.Fetterman said it would be "reckless and .... would be distressing if we're willing to completely turn our back" on conversations with people who could have leadership positions in Trump's administration. Fetterman is a rare Democrat who has publicly backed Trump's pick of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to serve as ambassador to the United Nations.Between the lines: Fetterman staunchly rejects any comparisons to Manchin or Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), both of whom are leaving the Senate next month and have been repeated thorns in Democrats' side. "I'm not leaving my party, I just happen to have reasonable views and I don't know why that's controversial," Fetterman told the New York Times in October, when asked about his break with his party's progressive wing.Zoom in: Fetterman's political calculus is evident — he represents a politically divided swing state that went for Trump and ousted Pennsylvania's senior senator, Democrat Bob Casey, in last month's election.That's likely a big reason why he's also become one of a few Democrats who — like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a regular guest on Fox News — is willing to engage with conservative-leaning platforms. Fetterman jumped onto Trump-owned Truth Social this week, joining a relatively small number of Democrats — none of them in the Senate — who are on the platform. His first post called Trump's criminal hush-money case in New York — and Hunter Biden's conviction — "bullshit," and said the president-elect should be pardoned, just as President Biden's son was.In November, Fetterman went on Joe Rogan's popular podcast, which many Democrats had been urging Vice President Harris to go on as the party's presidential nominee this fall. "It's really a simple rule: I'll have a conversation with anyone, if they're playing it straight, I'm going to do the same and engage," Fetterman said. State of play: Any outlier acts by Fetterman could be amplified next year when the Senate loses strong swing state and red-state voices in Manchin, Sinema and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.). Given the politics of his state, Fetterman often casts his willingness to engage with MAGA-world as pragmatism, even as some of his Democratic colleagues plot the "Resistance" against Trump's agenda. "If you're in a hard blue state," Fetterman told Axios, "you have the luxury to say all kinds of things."Go deeper: Jeffries takes charge of the Democratic resistance

Nunes, chief executive of Trump-owned Truth Social, was announced as the president-elect's nominee for chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has approved about half of the clemency applications recommended to him by the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons in his first two years.

Opinion by Bret Stephens on Dec. 12, 2024 One of the more moving stories in The New York Times this week is an account of the life of Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO who was gunned down on Dec. 4 outside of a New York hotel. Thompson “grew up in a working-class family in Jewell, [...]The post Brian Thompson, Not Luigi Mangione, Is the Real Working-Class Hero appeared first on GV Wire.

There's promising and potential collaboration with Democrats that can be grown into a genuine bipartisan legislative majority for Trump’s agenda.

And he used his first post to call for a pardon for Donald Trump in his hush money case.

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Maine Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday as he still pushing to win enough votes for confirmation and said he will not back down after allega...

The Democrat said both the president-elect and Hunter Biden were victims of political prosecutions.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) burned another bridge with the progressive movement that helped elect him on Wednesday when he came to the defense of President-elect Donald Trump with his first-ever post on Truth Social.Fetterman referred to the hush-money case against Trump as "bullshit" in his debut on Trump's social media platform."The Trump hush money and Hunter Biden cases were both bullshit, and pardons are appropriate," Fetterman wrote. "Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions and sows further division."The post included a screenshot from an MSNBC article detailing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's recent opposition to Trump's efforts to have the case dismissed. Bragg responded to Trump, who argued his victory in the 2024 presidential election should see the case thrown out, by stating that "president-elect immunity does not exist."Fetterman's post reiterates remarks he made just last week during an appearance on ABC’s The View in which he called the criminal cases against President Joe Biden's son and Trump "political."“In both cases, I think a pardon is appropriate and I really think collectively that America’s confidence in these types of institutions have been damaged by these kinds of cases, and we cannot allow these types of institutions to be weaponized against our political opponents,” Fetterman said.The response to Fetterman has been mixed. Diehard Trump fans have largely flooded his post on Truth Social with low-quality memes and spam, while others partisanly argued that Trump's case was not comparable to Hunter's."Dude. There's one huge difference. There was evidence against Hunter and none against Trump," one commenter falsely claimed."Hunter illegally carried guns, and his laptop showed him committing even more crimes," another said. "That doesn’t seem to equate with Trump’s accountants writing in ‘legal expense’ in the field that said expenses."A jury found Trump guilty of 34 felonies in May for falsifying records to cover up hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Hunter, who was pardoned by Biden this month, had been convicted of tax evasion and firearms-related charges.Progressives over on Bluesky admonished Fetterman for the post and accused him of placating Trump and his base."Democratic Senator Fetterman continues to be a surprise. He is now on Truth Social posting in support of Trump and the MAGA agenda," wrote one. "Terrible take," one user said of Fetterman's post. "Can't believe I ever liked this dude.""HUSH MONEY case? It was an ELECTION INTERFERENCE case, and he was found guilty," another added. "What the hell is Fetterman even doing on Truth Social?"The Pennsylvania senator's foray into Truth Social is just the latest move to stir up backlash from his Democratic supporters.Fetterman's ardent support of Israel amid its ongoing war with Palestine has led to widespread backlash.Fetterman also outraged progressives after mocking a group of young climate change activists on video.As far back as December 2023, supporters of Fetterman were asking for their "money back" due to his clear shift in politics.But on the flip side, this will only entrench his "based" status on the right.Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.The post John Fetterman calls for Trump pardon in Truth Social debut, cementing progressive pariah status appeared first on The Daily Dot.

'Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions,' Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said in a post.

'Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain'

Trump announced Guilfoyle as his selection for ambassador to Greece.

Trump announced Guilfoyle as his selection for ambassador to Greece.

The progressive senators condemned the assassination of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson, calling it outrageous and denouncing violence.

Sen. John Fetterman said he admires Elon Musk, and is not his enemy. Musk said it is "Hard not to like" the senator.

Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from consideration as attorney general and was replaced by Pam Bondi, as Trump names RFK Jr., Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard and Kristi Noem to key posts.