‘I Can’t Explain Where I’m at Anymore!’ John Fetterman Bewildered by New Poll on His Popularity Among GOP

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) expressed his dismay on Greta Van Susteren’s Newsmax podcast at a recent New York Times report showing Pennsylvania Republicans viewed him more favorably than the state’s Republican senator.

Fetterman has come under fire for criticizing members of his own party and for becoming a fixture as a guest on conservative media outlets. There’s also been speculation that Fetterman may be about to switch parties altogether.

For his part, Fetterman has said he will never officially become a Republican, leading Van Susteren to ask, “What makes you a Democrat?”

“If describing Dave McCormick as my enemy or a bad person or a problem — you know, I refuse to do that,” Fetterman said. “If it’s required for me to stay in this seat, I refused to do it, then, hey, I would, I’d crash out then. Because there’s things that like I fundamentally reject, and if I had to lie about Israel, or if I think that data centers are ‘evil,’ or bad, or they’re gonna destroy — these are such important things for our country, regardless. I know what the party might demand but I refuse to go there because it’s more important to be honest and, as a kind of personal integrity.”

Van Susteren asked again, “So, what holds you as a Democrat?”

“Like I said, because, I can’t explain where I’m at anymore,” Fetterman said, continuing:

You know, if you’ve seen the latest poll by The New York Times, where, you know, I don’t understand it. I’m more popular with Republicans than Dave McCormick, and I’ve said this, I think Dave’s a better senator than I am, honestly, overall. But, you know, I can’t explain it. I don’t know why Democrats are upset with me. But, overall, I would rather, you know, take me out — but it’s because if I’m honest and that’s the space that I occupy. And, Greta, if I break the news right now, ‘Hey, I’m changing my party right now,’ my votes and my views won’t change. They’ll be identical. I mean, it’s — the label doesn’t mean anything because my votes and views will be the same.

The New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena poll detailed in the Times report revealed that Fetterman “was viewed favorably by 73 percent of self-identified Republicans,” compared with “just 22 percent of Democrats.”

Watch the Greta Wire episode above.

Jason Cohen contributed to this report.

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