Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) says he is now facing the ire of progressives as he has broken with them on several hot-button topics.
During an interview with The New York Times, Fetterman said, “What I have found out over the last couple years is that the right, and now the left, are hoping that I die.”
“There are ones that are rooting for another blood clot. They have both now been wishing that I die,” he added.
The Times points out Fetterman was once a “darling of progressives who positioned himself as a champion of the underdog and highlighted his association with Senator Bernie Sanders.”
However, it added he “has a less rosy view of the left and says the label of ‘progressive’ does not fit him anymore.”
The Pennsylvania senator has been a vocal supporter of Israel amid its war with Hamas.
During his 2022 Senate primary, Fetterman told Jewish Insider, “Whenever I’m in a situation to be called on to take up the cause of strengthening and enhancing the security of Israel or deepening our relationship between the United States and Israel, I’m going to lean in.”
And while discussing Democrats who criticize Israel, he said, “I would also respectfully say that I’m not really a progressive in that sense.”
Since Hamas’ attack in Israel on Oct. 7, Fetterman has not been shy about his support for the Jewish state. He was seen in November walking past pro-Palestinian supporters while waving an Israeli flag.
And he attended a pro-Israel rally in Washington, D.C., with an Israeli flag draped around his shoulders.
U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) showed up to a pro-Israel rally draped in an Israeli flag. #Israel | #DNC pic.twitter.com/ndlgKBmwU6
— Spectrum Politics ✊ (@SpectrumEMX) November 15, 2023
His support for Israel is not the only issue on which he has broken with progressives.
Earlier this month, Fetterman argued talking about securing the U.S.-Mexico border “isn’t xenophobic,” and is instead “a reasonable conversation, and Democrats should engage.”