Fetterman is not the Democratic answer to Trump

Published March 4, 2025 1:13pm ET



Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) has been charting a course as a bit of a maverick among the Democratic Party. But when the chips are down, even he falls in line with the radical fringe of left-wing activists who run the party’s messaging.

HBO’s Bill Maher last week coronated Fetterman as the Democratic Party’s answer to President Donald Trump, specifically how Trump “bonds with everyday Americans because he talks like them.” Fetterman made his name as an Ivy League-educated man from a wealthy upbringing who LARPed as a working-class mayor. He has since carved out his current somewhat centrist path mostly by not acting like a frantic, hysterical Democrat like many of his colleagues.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.