Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman said twice this week that he would consider leaving the Democratic Party if members make it “officially become the anti-Israel party.”
His statements came after 103 House Democrats voted on Wednesday with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) on his unsuccessful amendment to cut $3.3 billion worth of State Department funding to Israel.
Fetterman has previously faced questions about whether he would remain a Democrat because of his foreign policy positions, including repeated votes against war powers resolutions, and growing friendships with conservatives.
He has repeatedly answered “no,” but this month began to note that increased anti-Israel sentiment within the party would be his hard line.
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“If they put that in our platform — no aid for Israel — and officially become the anti-Israel party, then yeah, that’s a red line for me,” Fetterman told NBC News on Thursday. “Democrats, we always should support Israel. That’s our special ally, you know? In the only democracy in the entire region, that’s Israel. So I’m always proud to stand with Israel.”
Fetterman did not tell reporters if he would switch to the Republican Party or if he would become an independent.
Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Democrat told Fox News’ Sean Hannity he had a “real concern” the party would bake anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiments into its party framework.
“The second that becomes a formal part of our platform, that’s the one thing that will push me out of this party,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman’s approval ratings in Pennsylvania have fallen to 19% among Democrats, according to a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday. The same poll revealed that 52% of Pennsylvania’s registered voters want Fetterman to leave the party.
“The Democrats would like to show him the door. The Republicans seem to be welcoming him in. Thus is the political irony of Senator John Fetterman,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said in the poll release.
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