{"id":2631491,"date":"2026-07-18T06:54:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T10:54:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fetterman-threads-the-needle-with-threat-to-abandon-democrats\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T06:56:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T10:56:36","slug":"fetterman-threads-the-needle-with-threat-to-abandon-democrats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fetterman-threads-the-needle-with-threat-to-abandon-democrats\/","title":{"rendered":"Fetterman threads the needle with threat to abandon Democrats"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffetterman-threads-the-needle-with-threat-to-abandon-democrats%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2631491&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) expressed a warning that he might leave the Democratic Party due to its perceived declining support for Israel, but he clarified that his threat was largely symbolic and dependent on specific party platform changes. Fetterman has faced questions about his alignment with the party amid divisions over Israel and other issues, including some House Democrats voting to cut aid to israel. He emphasized that unless Israel&#8217;s support is officially opposed as part of the party platform, he remains committed to Democrats. <\/p>\n<p>Fetterman also addressed concerns about his cross-party fundraising efforts with Republican Sen. Dave McCormick, denying any sinister motives and insisting they are about shared issues rather than party loyalty. While his policy views sometimes align with Republicans-such as voting with Trump more frequently enough than most Democrats-he remains a democrat, citing the political landscape and his 2022 victory as reasons to stay. <\/p>\n<p>He indicated that his party\u2019s internal divisions over Israel and progressives\u2019 influence could threaten his position but declined to specify how close he is to crossing a red line. Fetterman has not announced plans for his 2028 re-election but highlighted his role in helping Democrats maintain majority control. He also criticized party figures supporting insurgent candidates, asserting that centrist efforts made Democrats\u2019 recent victories possible.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The warning from Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-fetterman\/\">John Fetterman<\/a> (D-PA) that he could <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4650827\/fetterman-leave-democratic-party-anti-israel\/\">leave the Democratic Party<\/a> over its <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4624110\/new-york-primaries-warning-pro-israel-groups\/\">fading support for Israel<\/a> comes with a large asterisk.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was a threat that prompted the centrist Democrat to spend much of Thursday clarifying to reporters in the halls of the Capitol.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4653879\/john-fetterman-threads-the-needle-after-threat-to-abandon-democrats\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>John Fetterman threads the needle after threat to abandon Democrats<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4653742\/what-happens-dsa-abolish-senate\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>What happens if the DSA abolishes the Senate?<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4654028\/lindsey-graham-memorial-service-dc\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Lindsey Graham\u2019s memorial service set for July 28 in DC<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roughly half of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4649910\/103-house-democrats-vote-cut-aid-israel\/\">House Democrats voting to cut off U.S. aid to Israel<\/a> and insurgent progressives with anti-Israel sentiments ousting incumbents are not part of his calculation. Fetterman considers the events largely \u201csymbolic.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you actually [make] it part of our platform, then that\u2019s different,\u201d Fetterman said. \u201cWhen they just make it official. That they add that to the platform and say, \u2018We will never support aid for Israel, it doesn\u2019t deserve to exist,\u2019 and makes it very clear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The party\u2019s grappling with immense divisions over what was once ironclad support for the longtime U.S. ally has included a rise in antisemitism. But without a more unified stance, Democrats remain without an official position on continuing billions of dollars in annual military aid, let alone declaring Israel lacking the right to exist.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is good news for the Democrats who fear Fetterman is on the cusp of becoming a Republican. He\u2019s stirred fresh fury over his cross-party joint fundraising effort with Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA). Fetterman <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4649752\/john-fetterman-downplays-gop-fundraising-partnership-dodges-reelection-plans\/\">rejected the notion<\/a> it was part of a \u201csinister\u201d plot and downplayed its significance beyond offering donors the ability to \u201csupport our views and the common issues that we agree on.\u201d He also denied it meant anything for his potential 2028 reelection plans or switching parties.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There might be natural commonalities with his home state Republican colleague, and he\u2019s no stranger to railing against his party, particularly on illegal immigration and Israel. But Fetterman\u2019s policy overlap with Republicans largely ends there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He voted in line with President Donald Trump last year 28% of the time, the most of any Senate Democrat, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/votehub.com\/trump-score\">according to<\/a> a VoteHub analysis. Still, more than half of Pennsylvania voters <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/poll.qu.edu\/poll-release?releaseid=3962\">want him to abandon Democrats<\/a>, and his job approval ratings are inversed among the parties: 77% of Republicans approve compared to just 19% of Democrats. Those figures suggest he\u2019d have difficulty prevailing in a Democratic primary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a Republican, Fetterman would be far from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who\u2019s voted in line with Trump\u2019s stated position 88% of the time, the lowest among GOP senators. Just this week, as one of Washington\u2019s staunchest Israel defenders, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4652303\/john-fetterman-blasts-jd-vance-israel-iran-peace-comments\/\">Fetterman called it a \u201cbetrayal\u201d<\/a> for Vice President JD Vance to allege <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4650072\/jd-vance-accuses-israel-paying-influencers-undermine-iran-negotiations\/\">Israel is paying online influencers<\/a> to criticize and undermine administration talks toward an Iran peace deal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By comparison, former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democrat-turned-independent, voted with Trump roughly <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210607044741\/https:\/projects.fivethirtyeight.com\/congress-trump-score\/joe-manchin-iii\/\">half the time<\/a> during the president\u2019s first term. He\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4631583\/manchin-urges-democrat-fetterman-becoming-an-independent\/\">urged Fetterman<\/a> to follow in his footsteps and \u201cset yourself free\u201d by becoming an independent.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to reporters following votes at the Capitol, Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Allison Robbert)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/AP26064767200398-1.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to reporters following votes at the Capitol, Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Allison Robbert)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just how close does Fetterman feel the party is to crossing his red line? He declined to offer specifics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m still a Democrat,\u201d Fetterman said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first-term senator, who\u2019s yet to state his 2028 reelection plans, cited his 2022 battleground victory as the reason Democrats have a shot this November at retaking the majority. The party needs to flip four seats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4649752\/john-fetterman-downplays-gop-fundraising-partnership-dodges-reelection-plans\/\">FETTERMAN DOWNPLAYS GOP FUNDRAISING PARTNERSHIP AND DODGES REELECTION PLANS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fetterman also lambasted those in the party who\u2019ve propped up progressive insurgents like disgraced former Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner, suggesting it\u2019s centrists like himself that have made a majority possible, even if the map doesn\u2019t favor the Democrats.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI made the math possible for a majority in \u201826,\u201d he said. \u201cThe people that pushed that garbage now just made that now more unlikely. They need to own that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fetterman warns of leaving Dems over Israel support, clarifies intentions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2631492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26064767200398-1.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3685,7921,5894],"class_list":["post-2631491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-democrats","tag-fetterman","tag-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26064767200398-1.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2631491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2631491"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2631491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2631495,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2631491\/revisions\/2631495"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2631492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2631491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2631491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2631491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}