The Democratic Party’s internal divide over President Donald Trump was on full display when Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) again broke from his party’s activist wing, mocking what he called “Trump derangement syndrome” during an appearance on Bill Maher’s podcast.
“If he came out for ice cream and lazy Sundays, we would f***ing hate it,” Fetterman said, arguing Democrats have become instinctively opposed to Trump regardless of the issue. The comment drew praise from Washington Examiner senior writer Joe Concha, who said on Fox News’s Fox and Friends First that “TDS is the right term here.”
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“President Trump could come out for an executive order banning pineapple on pizza,” Concha said on Tuesday, “and Democrats would say it’s the greatest thing ever.”
Concha argued Fetterman has increasingly become an outlier within his own party, particularly on issues such as Israel and political rhetoric surrounding Trump.
“I’m not sure why John Fetterman is still a Democrat at this point,” Concha said. “This isn’t to say he should become a Republican, but at least he probably should be an independent because the Democratic Party clearly has left him.”
The Washington Examiner senior writer pointed to Fetterman’s support for Israel, condemnation of Hamas, and criticism of anti-Trump rhetoric as examples of positions that have alienated him from progressive Democrats while earning him praise from Republicans.
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“Fetterman has guts,” Concha said when asked why few Democrats have echoed the senator’s criticism of his party. “Most others on the Left are just simply not there right now as far as standing up for common sense and saying things that are responsible.”
Concha also noted that despite backlash from progressives, Fetterman remains politically viable in Pennsylvania, calling him “the common sense Democrat” in a purple state where moderation still resonates with voters.
