Sen. John Fetterman said on Fox News’ Hannity that contempt for Israel is “anti-American,” while warning that a “pro-Hamas wing” could win progressive primaries. His comments drew pushback from fellow Democrats as he continues to collide with his own party, fo
When Sen. John Fetterman sat down with Sean Hannity on Fox News’ Hannity, the question he was asked sounded simple—but the answer landed like a warning.
Hannity pressed the Pennsylvania Democrat on why some progressives, in his view, hold what he described as a “deep hatred” for Israel. “Let me ask this. Why do they have this deep hatred for Israel? Why?” Hannity said.
Fetterman didn’t hedge. “If you have such contempt for Israel, I mean, of course, you’re also anti-American and you’re anti-Western civilization. And you’re anti-capitalism and the American way of life.” He then went further. tying the stance to broader left-wing politics. “Now, I mean, they’re all socialists, of course. Now there’s communists and now Marxists and now they’re proud of this.”.
His remarks also turned to Graham Platner, a self-described communist running for office in Maine. Fetterman pointed to Platner as evidence that far-left ideologies are no longer stigmatized within parts of the Democratic base.
In recent months. Fetterman has positioned himself as one of the Democratic Party’s most outspoken defenders of Israel. especially as criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon has grown across the political spectrum. On Hannity, he framed the current political climate as a fight inside the party itself.
“I remain as really the last Democrat in the Senate that’s proud to stand with Israel,” Fetterman told Hannity. He described what he called “the full pro-Hamas wing,” saying, “A lot of these candidates that very likely are going to win tonight are just declaring a war on regular Democrats.”
He added, “I’m proud to stand with Israel and whether I’m the last Democrat here or not, I’m going to call out what I’m witnessing all across the country and all of these races.”
That language came as progressive-backed campaigns were showing strength in New York City congressional primaries. Fetterman characterized the moment as “the dancing days of the dirtbag left. ” warning that candidates who support abolishing ICE. police departments and border enforcement are “declaring a war on just regular Democrats.”.
Three congressional candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their primaries. State Assemblymember Claire Valdez and former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander won comfortably. while community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier narrowly defeated incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat.
Lander captured New York’s 10th Congressional District with nearly two-thirds of the vote, defeating Rep. Dan Goldman, who previously gained national attention as lead counsel during Donald Trump’s first impeachment.
But Fetterman’s Israel remarks didn’t just echo the political moment—they sparked immediate friction with Democrats who didn’t match his tone.
Brad Lander urged Fetterman to “stop attacking other Democrats and decide to rejoin the fold,” adding that the senator was free to leave the party if he wished.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ). offering a calmer response. told Kaitlan Collins. “If you want to heal a country. you can’t be picking fights.” Booker also stressed the party’s internal diversity. saying. “I think we need to understand that our party is not homogeneous. One of the things that makes the Democratic Party great is it’s a big tent party. We need to stay that way. The focus has got to be the November elections.”.
The interview arrived shortly after another public rupture with his own party—this one over war powers.
Fetterman cast the deciding vote against a Senate effort to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to strike Iran. The war powers resolution failed 49-50, with Fetterman the only Democrat to side with Republicans. It marked the seventh time he had broken with his party since the conflict began. but the first time his vote proved decisive.
Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy joined Democrats in supporting the measure.
For years, Democrats often praised Fetterman as a plain-spoken populist able to draw in independents and even Republicans. In recent months. however. he’s frustrated many in his party through frequent Fox News appearances. praise for Trump. and opposition to legislation aimed at restricting military action against Iran.
Fetterman has insisted his values have not changed. In a The Washington Post op-ed, he wrote, “My values have not changed and I have always turned to those kinds of ideals that defined being a Democrat. I remain strongly pro-choice, pro-weed, pro-LGBT, pro-SNAP, pro-labor.”
Some Democratic senators, though, say they’ve grown tired of the visibility and the heat. “I don’t think about John Fetterman,” one Democratic senator said, speaking anonymously.
Tensions around his standing in the party intensified further after a New York magazine report said Fetterman floated the idea of running for vice president in 2028 during a staff meeting last summer. The report said the suggestion stunned aides. One staffer recalled: “Almost all of us had our jaws on the floor, like, ‘Are you out of your mind?. You don’t do your job, you can’t raise any money and your entire party hates you.’”.
The timing of all of it—his sharper pro-Israel language on Hannity. his break with his party on war powers. and the internal questions about where his political future is heading—has left Democrats with a familiar problem: they’re being asked to reconcile public loyalty to the party with a senator who keeps choosing his own line.
John Fetterman Hannity Fox News Israel Gaza Lebanon Democratic Party Brad Lander Cory Booker war powers Iran Donald Trump Zohran Mamdani Graham Platner 2028 vice president rumor