Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman ripped the idea of “squatter’s rights” during an exclusive interview with The Post this week.
“Squatters have no rights,” Fetterman said, adding that the issue was one he often dealt with when he was mayor of working-class Braddock, Pa. “How can you even pretend that this is anything other than you’re just breaking the law?”
“I am not woke,” he warned.
“We always tried to push back against that,” he said, adding that he had been horrified by what he’s read in The Post’s extensive coverage of the squatting issue.
“It’s wild, that if you go away on a long trip, for 30 days, and someone breaks into your home and suddenly they have rights,” he sad. “This is crazy. Like if somebody stole your car, and then they held it for 30 days, then somehow you now have some rights?”
Fetterman also tore into soft-on-crimes policies that critics said contributed to the fatal shooting of NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller.
“I have gone to police funerals,” Fetterman said. “If this individual is convicted, then he should spend the rest of his life and in prison, and never have an opportunity to get out.”
The accused killer, Guy Rivera, had at least 21 prior arrests, mainly for drugs and assault, before he fatally shot Diller during a traffic stop in Queens last month.
Fetterman said he still believed in second chances — but not 20.
“If you have those kinds of established records, It doesn’t serve any greater goal to allow people that are offending, offending, offending and allow them to not be held accountable,” Fetterman said.
“We have to be very smart and aggressive on crime,” said Fetterman who has taken heat by critics who accuse him of being soft on crime.
Fetterman brought plenty of red meat to the sitdown at famously vegan Eleven Madison Park, touching on a range of subjects including Israel and the 2024 presidential campaign.
On the issue of Israel, the senator has remained a bulwark.
As national Democrats drift ever closer toward Hamas — and their swing state voters in Michigan — Fetterman has remained completely steadfast in his support of the Jewish state and called out New York Sen. Chuck Schumer for his remarks calling for new elections in the country.
“It’s reasonable if you want to criticize, but to call for effectively like a regime change, I disagree,” Fetterman said. “I didn’t agree because Israel is a democracy, it is our key special ally. And our nation wouldn’t appreciate any kind of foreign input. So why should we do that for Israel?” He also condemned the United States decision to allow a United Nations ceasefire resolution to pass and said Israel had the “right” and “imperative” to proceed with their invasion of Rafah.
On Thursday he posted to X his objection to President Biden’s warning that future aid to Israel could become conditional.
“In this war against Hamas — no conditions for Israel,” he said.
Despite a maverick streak, Fetterman remains a loyal Democrat and said he was committed to securing a second term for President Biden.
A Wall Street Journal poll this week show the octogenarian commander-in-chief is trailing former President Trump in most swing states — including Pennsylvania.
“It’s going to be very close. Trump is going to be incredibly strong in Pennsylvania,” Fetterman said, adding that he believed Biden would ultimately be triumphant and that he planned to be a surrogate for him in the state.
Fetterman was in the Big Apple for a swing of media appearances and a bit of fundraising.
On Thursday he received the “hero of democracy” award at a gala for the Renew Democracy Initiative at Gotham Hall in Manhattan.
Fetterman “unflinchingly defended America’s democratic allies in Ukraine and Israel,” noted RDI board member Alexander Vindman.
