Fetterman says Democrats have 'forgotten why we lost' and Trump is 'not an autocrat'

[Polybius]

Source: CNN

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman has a warning for his party: learn from the politically charged whirlwind that put Donald Trump back in the White House and secured Republicans control of both chambers of Congress or risk staying in the minority.

“They have forgotten one of the reasons why we lost in 2024,” Fetterman said of his fellow Democrats in a wide-ranging interview with CNN’s Manu Raju on “Inside Politics Sunday.”

The Pennsylvania Democrat, who was first elected by just a five-point margin in 2022, said some of the party’s more left-wing views were “weaponized” against Democrats last fall.

“Some people think now we have to double down on those things or we must become more progressive or more extreme,” said Fetterman, who has renounced the “progressive” label in recent years, continuing, “That’s absolutely not true. The seven or eight states that are going to determine who’s going to be our next president, you know, we have to win in those states, and I understand what that takes.”

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/14/politics/fetterman-democrats-trump

[DrFunkenstein]

1. Fetterman Has Forgotten Why He Won

In a rejection of Trump's handpicked candidate.

[ananda]

15. Fetterman isn't the Fetterman I thought he was...

before he got elected.

I don't know exactly why, but I have my
suspicions.

[niyad]

2. Do yourself a favour, john, and resign. You are an embarrassment.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Hey John

Kiss my ass.

[durablend]

4. "we have to win in those states, and I understand what that takes."

Sorry John, "suck Trump's dick" isn't the correct answer.

[mdbl]

5. What a disappointment Fetterman turned out to be

He obviously forgot who elected him as do most repuglicans after they get into office.

[Born Free]

6. Sorry I voted for him

He will never get another vote from me, he misled voters in Pennsylvania. Not many democrats expected him to suck up to Trump.

[cstanleytech]

31. Well, I will point out that those in elected office are supposed to work for everyone and not their party.

Of course that's a supposed to though the Democratic parties candidates actually try most of the time where as the Republicans don't even bother.

[JBTaurus83]

7. Fetterman can fuck himself

[Silent Type]

8. We'll eat/bash him. Maybe we'll wake up when we have 35 senators.

[durablend]

9. Maybe we should just lay on the ground and cry then

"Please don't kill us Mr. Maga and we won't yell at you anymore"

Is that your answer?

[Silent Type]

13. Absolutely not, the last thing we need to do is look like a bunch of whiners.

[Keepthesoulalive]

10. If That's what America wants

I’m getting whiplash from dems need to speak up against Trump to don’t hold fetterman accountable for being a traitor. I will vote for almost anyone with a d next to their name but I will not vote for a democrat who sides with republicans . Trump is destroying our country and anyone who helps him does not exist. Trans people are in the crosshairs, how about he stands up for them.

[Silent Type]

14. I'll change "35" to "30."

[Keepthesoulalive]

16. It doesn't matter

Unless Americans get their heads out of their asses we will see the demise of the great experiment . The republicans have not helped anyone but the wealthy and still people vote for them. We are ill informed and easily manipulated. The news media belongs to the wealthy , they no longer guard our democracy. If people don’t get what’s on their wishlist they will not vote , vote third party and some of them voted for trump. The number one thing on my list will the person running make things better for all people. I don’t see that in the senator from Pennsylvania. Both of my senators would be considered centrist but I will be campaigning and donating.

[KPN]

18. Curious. What specifically should we wake up to? What does that mean?

[BaronChocula]

11. Bloodthirsty white nationalists are killing each other

as the rest of them vow a civil war against those who aren't white nationalists. And Fetterman's message to Democrats is be nicer to the chief white nationalist. That guy is WAYYYYY off message.

[Deminpenn]

17. Fetterman consistently votes with his

Dem party. It's not accurate to say he's sucking up to Trump either.

Fetterman did run on progressive ideas although he doesn't consider himself one now. He did campaign in the rural counties in the state and, iirc, did better than Dems usually do. I'd call it an economic populist campaign.

[Karma13612]

42. Voting with the Democrats is only part of what elected officials are

responsible for doing.

The OTHER even more important task is to keep sending the right message. To educate the voters. To steer them towards the light.

In my opinion, Fetterman is sending a message to give in and go towards the center. Instead, he should be messaging that the right wing is nuts and that we need strong vocal leadership promoting free speech (which we’ve apparently lost), promoting better gun legislation, defending women’s rights, voting rights, etc.

Bottom line, his messaging in sound bites doesn’t reassure me that he is ‘for the good guys’. He’s acting like a pundit who thinks he can stand on the sidelines and pontificate with no repercussions. He’s a US Senator. He should act like one.

Democrats are accused of being poor at messaging. Well, Fetterman is the poster child for that.

[Deminpenn]

43. That's not really accurate

Fetterman probably is a centrist Dem at heart. He was born and raised in York to conservative parents. He says he changed into a service-oriented life when a friend, only in his 20s, iirc, was killed in a vehicle accident.

All the things you cite, Fetterman does support although he is black and white on some issues like LBTQ rights and support for Israel where he's 100% behind both. Gun violence? He's got the dates of all the people killed in Braddock during his time as mayor tattooed on his arm.

But Fetterman's a different kind of cat. He marches to his own drummer, but that doesn't mean his message is necessarily wrong. If you were born and raised in western PA or lived here for a long time, you'd meet a lot of "Fettermans". Just based on seeing him as a mayor, then as LTGov and watching his campaign, I think what Fetterman's message is, is that Dems need to listen to the concerns of poor and rural voters. Dems are missing what the common ground is between them and the Dem base. Dems aren't going to get the conservative voters who are focused on cultural issues, but there are plenty of rural/white working class voters who do agree with the Dems economic policies. These voters have schools and hospitals and struggling communities. They are open to an economic populist message.

[Buddyzbuddy]

19. Does he understand that he will lose his next election if he chooses to run again.

[sheshe2]

26. We tried to warn voters the first go around.

Posted on this thread:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=20641781


Democrats Chose John Fetterman Over Conor Lamb. Now There Are Regrets.

When he ran for Senate in 2022, Conor Lamb was thrashed by over 30 points in the Democratic Senate primary. He lost every county in the state as the left rallied behind John Fetterman and against the young lawmaker who was dismissed as a centrist stooge and veritable Joe Manchin clone.

Progressives want you to know they’re sorry about that.

In light of Fetterman’s seeming estrangement from the Democratic Party and his evolution into “Trump’s favorite Democrat,” the left has reconciled with Lamb, wondering if maybe they were a little too tough on the once up-and-coming lawmaker who had shot to national attention by winning a deep red district in a 2018 special election.

snip

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) was among the first to go public with her buyer’s remorse. After Lamb rebuked Fetterman on X a few months ago in response to a post from his former political rival attacking Democrats who voted against a Republican funding bill to keep the government open, Ocasio-Cortez wondered aloud about where she could “submit her Conor Lamb apology form.”

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/08/07/conor-lamb-john-fetterman-progressive-remorse-00493728

[Buddyzbuddy]

28. Senator Fetterman has not been the same since his health became an issue.

Maybe something in his brain was triggered, or side effects of his medication or having a near death experience. Whatever the reason, he has changed since running for office. It's regretful. Knowing what I knew then about Fetterman vs. Conner Lamb, the choice to support Fetterman over Lamb was correct at the time.

Who would have ever thought there would be a President worse than Bush Jr.

[Deminpenn]

44. Conor Lamb was pretty milquetoasty when he was in office

He was my congressman and I met him at a local community event. I voted for Fetterman in the primary and don't regret it.

I'm glad he's had an epiphany lately.

[SalamanderSleeps]

20. 1 word Manchin

The Republican Senate is predominantly an orgy of clowns on a quest for legacy shaped like Viagra.

And, Fetterman is a gifted towel boy.

Pennsylvania deserves better.

[electric_blue68]

21. "not an Autocrat" ...Hmmmm

"If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck..."
"Quack! Quack!

He sure looks & acts like one 😬. Or close to it, and probably aspires to do more, if he can get away with it!
Gah!

What the hell is your problem, Sen Fetterman?!!

[Deminpenn]

45. Certainly Trump is a bully, but otherwise he is essentially an empty vessel

that can be filled up by any ideology. The syncophants he surrounded himself with this time DO have an autocratic mindset that they have successfully tranferred onto/into Trump. But if Trump was surrounded by liberal syncophants, he'd be one of them/us.

Trump's malignant narcissism makes him easily manipulated. To the autocrats in his administration, he's a useful idiot.

[ellise]

22. Stoke Damaged

Obviously that stoke did more damage than was recognized..,
Truly..he has not been the same…like people waking up from coma and start speaking a different language. Recognize it he is now totally different and unlikable. Vote him out!!!

[Fiendish Thingy]

23. His retirement can't come too soon

I hope Shapiro runs for his seat.

[turbinetree]

24. Well John I really don't like someone that tried to overthrow my and million of others vote and to top it all off

republican senators let him off the hook and a US Supreme court that has not one but 6 assholes that gave him immunity on stealing my government secrets to do whatever he wanted to do with them...................... you know commit treason.........or did you forget about that history............I sure have not......................

[spudspud]

25. One term wonder. /nt

[BGRD]

27. Award

When are the Democrats going to award the Kristen Sinema award to Fetterman ,and then expel him from the Democratic Party. He is another infiltrator like Sinema,. He is only there to do as much damage to the Democratic Party as possible from the inside. He has taken his 30 pieces of Silver. At least Judas had the decency to hang himself.

[creeksneakers2]

29. Primary him the next chance we get.

[Laffy Kat]

30. Sadly, Fetterman has some damage from his stroke.

He truly ISN'T the same person he was pre-stroke, at least not philosophically/politically. Plus, he admits he hates his job now. He needs to be replaced.

[RedArkGuy]

32. As for me . . .

. . . I'd be very surprised if he ran for re-election.

[bucolic_frolic]

33. Dems need to appeal to principles - freedom, tolerance, civil rights - and not specific groups.

Dems have to appeal to voters and reach those voters and not just appeal to specific constituencies. We are drowned out by M$M Faux Noise and the others, then demonized by the Right and their media minions.

[twodogsbarking]

34. What's in your meds John. Are you dancing around like those people on TV who took drugs.

[Vinca]

35. Apparently Fetterman has joined the kneepad club. Hope he remembers the rose petals when it's his turn.

[Paladin]

36. Pennsylvania voters: DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!

Please!

[Queso Delicioso]

37. No one asked, Sloth.

Gods what an embarrassment.

[CaptainTruth]

38. I'd say Fetterman is 'not a Democrat.' Sad, I was hopeful he'd be good.

[Wonder Why]

39. I am shocked at the vitriol. While I think he is wrong and I don't believe any Democrat should

cooperate with a regime determined to destroy democracy and take us back to the Dark Ages, even Fetterman is light years better than any of the repug clowns in our government along with their maniac leader.

He should be chastised for his errors but he is not one of "them".

As Democrats, we should be addressing the needs of Americans of all persuasions not just those to the left of us. That doesn't mean we agree with them but when e.g. Americans of all persuasions are concerned with their safety, security, the economy, education, health, etc., we need to do a better job telling them why our solutions help them even if they are right wing. I don't believe we did that in the last election and, in fact, in many of the elections since I started voting in the '60s. Many times people voted for Democratic candidates, not because they would do a wonderful job, but because, like the next election, the repugs have shown they are even worse.

[Bengus81]

40. Trump's not an Autocrat, Fetterman? Who the FUCK do you think is running the Country

single handedly? Who the hell is doing all he's doing without Congressional voting Johnny?? How many times were you able to vote on those tariffs?

Pffftttt.....You can kiss ASS on Trump all you want, but that doesn't mean I will.

[Emile]

41. He needs to step down and the Governor pick

his replacement.