Trump Urges Sen. John Fetterman to Switch Parties

President Donald Trump has openly encouraged Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania to switch parties and become a Republican. Trump stated he would "love to see him as a Republican" and that Fetterman "does better as a Republican than he does as a Democrat."

These remarks were made as Trump was returning to Washington from a rally in Tennessee. The overture comes just weeks before midterm elections that could reshape control of Congress. Fetterman, who was elected to the Senate in 2022, has sometimes diverged from Democratic party lines on issues such as immigration and Israel, fueling speculation about his party affiliation.

A representative for Fetterman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In May, Fetterman rejected the idea of becoming a Republican, writing in The Washington Post that he would be a "terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats." His relationship with Democrats has been strained at times, including when he recorded a video for the Republican midterm convention praising Republican Sen. Dave McCormick and suggesting the presence of extremists within his own party.

"I’m always going to stand with America," Fetterman said in that video. "I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life."

Democrats are seeking to gain four seats to retake the Senate majority. While this remains a challenging goal, Trump's own unpopularity and economic factors have created headwinds for the GOP, leading Democrats to express more optimism about their chances of regaining control of the chamber.

Historically, party switches have impacted Senate control. Jim Jeffords of Vermont's departure from the Republican party in 2001 gave Democrats a narrow majority. More recently, former Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter's decision to leave the Republican party in 2009 aided Democrats in achieving a supermajority.