Democratic Sen. Fetterman delivers video message at GOP midterm convention praising McCormick and pledging to work with Trump on steel
Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman appeared via a 64-second video at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday, introducing Republican Sen. Dave McCormick and pledging to work with President Trump to defend Pennsylvania's steel industry. Fetterman called McCormick "the kind of senator that gets the job done" and said he was "proud to count him as my great friend." The event marked the first time a sitting Democratic senator appeared in a featured role at a Republican midterm convention.
Fetterman recorded the video while standing in front of a steel mill in Pennsylvania, wearing his trademark black hoodie. He described himself as "a common sense Democrat" who rejects "the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life," and said he and McCormick would "work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way of life right here in the Steel Valley." He also noted multiple times during the video that he remains a Democrat.
Reports ahead of the convention had suggested Fetterman would openly praise Trump, but his actual remarks stopped short of that. His reference to working "with President Trump" on steel was the closest he came to a direct endorsement of the president, according to NPR.
The appearance drew attention in part because of a Wall Street Journal report published earlier in September, based on interviews with former staffers and lawmakers, that described Fetterman as showing little interest in his Senate duties and increasingly focused on conservative media figures and advocacy for Israel. Fetterman responded to that story, in a statement to CNN, calling it "lies, half-truths, innuendos, smears and anonymous" and saying he remained "proud to continue to deliver for Pennsylvania." CNN also featured an interview with Fetterman's former chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, who addressed both the video appearance and the ex-staffers' characterizations.