Are Fetterman and Trump buds? Their meeting proves sanity still exists in politics. | Opinion
Sen. John Fetterman is willing to talk to Republicans – even President-elect Donald Trump. He seems to have no problem working with the other team to accomplish things that are good for the country.
A year ago, I wrote a column about how impressed I was with U.S. Sen. John Fetterman's willingness to challenge the status quo among progressives.
Twelve months later, the Pennsylvania Democrat continues to pleasantly surprise me. What is he doing exactly?
Fetterman is willing to talk to Republicans – even (GASP) President-elect Donald Trump – and he seems to have no problem joining the other team to accomplish things he believes are good for the country.
How refreshing. And how rare these days.
His attitude has made him a maverick in the Democratic Party, and he has attracted support from conservatives and independents alike.
“I’m not just a Senator for Democrats ‒ I’m a Senator for all Pennsylvanians,” Fetterman wrote recently on X, when the news broke he had accepted an invitation to visit Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “It’s my job to find common ground and deliver results for everybody. And because nobody is my gatekeeper, I will meet with anyone to secure some wins, including President Trump.”
Fetterman is 'just a commonsense person'
Trump, who was once a Democrat himself, initiated the weekend meeting with Fetterman.
And it went well. Trump called it a “fascinating meeting,” according to an interview he gave with the Washington Examiner.
“He’s a commonsense person,” Trump said of Fetterman. “He’s not liberal or conservative. He’s just a commonsense person, which is beautiful.”
The two men discussed a range of topics, including the possibility of annexing Greenland, Israel, tariffs and securing the border.
Since the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, Fetterman has unapologetically supported Israel’s right to defend itself – even as members of his party sought to distance themselves from our ally in light of the casualties in Gaza.
He also has acknowledged the need to quash illegal immigration and the fact that the country elected Trump in large part because of frustrations around this issue.
Fetterman has called on fellow Democrats to help pass immigration reform, in light of this mandate from voters. And a recent bipartisan vote in the Senate to advance debate on legislation that would bring tougher federal measures against illegal immigrants charged with crimes like theft (named the Laken Riley Act, in honor of the nursing student who was murdered last year by an illegal migrant) is a good start.
Fetterman referred to the Democrats’ cooperation as a “blinding flash of common sense.”
Is Fetterman reconsidering his future as a Democrat?
All this makes me wonder if Fetterman is fed up with the Democratic Party. Yet, he seems committed to staying put for now.
Fetterman won't let the fact he’s a Democrat prevent him from talking to people on the other side, including Trump and some of his Cabinet nominees.
On Monday, Trump will once again become president. And Fetterman is a rare Democrat who’s willing to see how things play out in Trump’s second term before judging him too severely.
“I've been warning people like, you got to chill out,” Fetterman told ABC News last month. “The constant, you know, freak-out. It's not helpful. So, you know, pack a lunch, pace yourself, because he hasn't even taken office yet.”
Fetterman also said that he puts “country first” and that he is not “rooting against” Trump: “If you’re rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation.”
It's sad in a way that Fetterman is a maverick simply for exhibiting common sense and giving the other side a chance. But I'm glad he is.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at Paste BN. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques