Sen. John Fetterman criticized Democratic Party leadership during a podcast appearance, saying the party lacks a clear leader and is driven by opposition to Donald Trump rather than core principles.
The Pennsylvania Democrat made the comments during an episode of the All-In Podcast with entrepreneur David Friedberg. Fetterman, who has previously broken from his party on several high-profile issues, spoke candidly about what he views as the party’s fundamental problem.
What Fetterman Said
When asked who leads the Democratic Party, Fetterman responded directly: “Oh, we don’t, we don’t have one.” He then offered his diagnosis for the party’s direction, saying “I think the TDS, [Trump Derangement Syndrome] that – I think that’s the leader right now.”
Fetterman expanded on his critique, arguing that the party is “governed by the TDS” and has “made it virtually impossible without being punished as a Democrat to agree something’s good or I agree with the other side.”
The Iran Policy Divide
The senator used Operation Epic Fury-a military operation against Iran-as a specific example of what he views as reflexive partisanship. “I am literally the only Democrat… in Congress that I’ve come across that’s saying, ‘I think it’s a great thing to break and destroy the Iranian regime,” Fetterman said.
He highlighted the contradiction between longtime Democratic positions on Iran’s nuclear program and current responses. “Every single Democrat that’s run for president, uh, and anyone that I know in Congress says we must never allow [Iran] to acquire a nuclear bomb,” Fetterman noted. “When that happens, why not celebrate that or acknowledge that?”
A Pattern of Party Disagreement
Fetterman has previously supported policies at odds with Democratic positions, including backing Israel, voting for the Laken Riley Act, and declining to characterize Trump as fascistic. He attributed this willingness to break ranks to his commitment to results over party allegiance.
“You don’t have to agree on every single thing, but when a good thing happens, just because it comes from a, uh, the different party, um, that, that tells me that you’re choosing the demand of the, the base or the party over country,” Fetterman said.
This story has been updated. CNN’s political team contributed to this report.
