Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) weighed in on the decision some of his Democratic colleagues made to protest President Trump’s joint address to Congress Tuesday, suggesting it just made the commander in chief look “more presidential.”
“A sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance,” Fetterman wrote Wednesday on social platform X. “It only makes Trump look more presidential and restrained.”
“We’re becoming the metaphorical car alarms that nobody pays attention to — and it may not be the winning message,” he added.
His words were accompanied by a screenshot of Politico’s website with a headline suggesting Democrats’ efforts against Trump “fell flat.” Snap polls from CBS, YouGov and CNN have showed that most viewers surveyed were in favor of the president’s speech.
Fetterman’s comments come after several Democratic lawmakers chose to either boycott the address altogether or walk out during the speech. Others held signs or wore t-shirts signaling their disapproval of sweeping actions the president had taken during his first six weeks in office.
Trump called out Democrats several times during his remarks, alluding to their unwillingness to stand or applaud his comments, including when he recognized special guests such as Marc Fogel. Fogel, an American schoolteacher, was freed from Russian custody last month.
Democratic strategist David Axelrod also criticized Democrats for their actions, specifically calling out Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who was escorted from the House chamber after shouting toward the president about looming cuts to Medicaid and other social programs. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) argued he should be censured over the outburst, and a resolution was introduced Wednesday by another GOP lawmaker.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) commended the decorum of the majority of his caucus on Wednesday but stopped short of addressing the protests.
Fetterman, and others, have warned that if similar efforts continue, the Democratic Party could lose the ability to resonate with voters.
The Pennsylvania Democrat’s open-minded approach to Trump has also fueled questions about his motives.
