Senator Fetterman Claims He Would Consider Leaving The Democratic Party If Van Hollen Becomes Majority Leader

Democratic Senator for Pennsylvania John Fetterman revealed on Saturday that he would consider quitting the Democratic party if progressive-backed Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen wins election to the position of Senate majority leader, citing disagreements with Van Hollen over Israel.

Responding to a question from FOX News host and former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany about whether there existed a "red line" that Democrats could cross which would prompt Fetterman to leave the party, the Pennsylvania Democrat said the following:

"Yeh absolutely. It would be troubling if my caucus elects someone like Van Hollen that has really made his name being very ... hostile to Israel. You know if you are going to be angry or hostile towards any countries in the region, why not make that Iran or Hezbollah or Hamas?"

Van Hollen has taken a much more critical stance towards Israel than Chuck Schumer, who is the Democrats' current Senate minority leader and is also running for the position as majority leader. Schumer, who has Fetterman's endorsement, is seen as the more moderate, centrist candidate.

Fetterman was also critical of other progressive Democrats, particularly Abdul El-Sayed, the Senator-elect for Michigan.

"I don't think there is going to be any more common ground ... I think if someone can't identify Iran as an enemy ... that is committed to destroying Israel and our nation as well ... this is the kind of individual that the Democratic party elected," Fetterman said in reference to El-Sayed refusing to answer whether he thought Israel or Iran posed a bigger threat to the U.S. on the campaign trail.

During the current Congress, Fetterman has consistently been the Democrat most likely to vote against his own party, having crossed party lines on roughly 20% of Senate votes since President Donald Trump was re-elected to office.

Fetterman has consistently sided with the administration - often at the expense of his own party - on its prosecution of the war against Iran, its support for Israel, its immigration enforcement policies, its spending and he also voted to approve the appointment of several of Trump's cabinet nominees.

Fetterman, who was first elected in 2022, will be up for re-election in 2028, and some Democrats have expressed their desire to replace the Senator as the Democrats' nominee.

Ahmed Moor, a Palestinian-American member of the Democratic Socialists of America born in Gaza, has already launched a campaign to unseat Fetterman. Democrat Congressman Chris Deluzio and Pennsylvania Representative Malcolm Kenyatta have also emerged as potential challengers.