Sen. Fetterman: ‘I’m representing 13 million Pennsylvanians, not just Democrats’

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman noted Saturday night on Fox News Channel’s “My View with Lara Trump,” hosted by the president’s daughter-in-law, that he’ll “get grief” for sitting down with her.

Still, he said, having conversations is “really important.”

“We can’t ever collectively turn our back to others and people are increasingly forgetting to remember that we really need each other,” Fetterman said.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA): "I am not just representing Democrats. I’m representing 13M Pennsylvanians. I refuse to call members of the other team fascists or Nazis… Because if you do, then that implies the people that vote for them must be the same too. That's absolutely not… pic.twitter.com/SiSxVCAPji

— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) November 2, 2025

Both Democrats and Republicans are feeling the effects of a federal government shutdown. Fetterman was one of three Democrats to side with a Republican bill that would’ve paid certain federal workers during the shutdown.

“I’ve been really consistent on this,” he said. “Now, whether it’s a Republican or Democrat, whatever’s driving the shutdown, that’s always wrong. I don’t care who’s behind it. It’s always wrong and here we are, and I’ve maintained that.

”I refuse to shut our government down and risk food insecurity to 42 million Americans, whether it’s red or blue countries — I mean, counties, excuse me. It’s like people and Republicans and Democrats get hungry and they need these — and they deserve these kinds of support, and I refuse to engage in bad political theater. I think that’s a betrayal of one of our core responsibilities.”

Fetterman has broken with his party on multiple issues, including immigration and on Israel, although he only votes with the president 6% of the time. He said his views represent all of Pennsylvania, not just the Democrats.

“Well, I mean, a lot of people forget or doesn’t understand the state that I am honored to represent — Pennsylvania, perhaps the most purple state in the country. And I am not just representing Democrats, I’m representing 13 million Pennsylvanians,” Fetterman said. “And now, I refuse to call members of the other team as fascists or Nazis or those other kinds of thing because if you do, then that implies that — well, the people that vote for them must be the same as, too, and that’s absolutely not true.”

He continued to promote conversations between Democrats and Republicans, saying politicians can oppose each other on the floor but still value each other as humans. He condemned political violence, especially in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death.

“We have to work together. That’s how it works,” he said. “Some terms, we’re in the majority. Sometimes, we’re in the minority. You know, that’s why we all work together. That’s the way democracy is.”

Fetterman’s conversations with Republicans have garnered pushback, especially as he leans to the right on issues like border security.

Fetterman said Democrats have “done a bad job about our border,” although he said he is pro-immigration. He was the first democrat to sponsor the Laken Riley Act in January, which forces federal authorities to detain undocumented immigrants for minor offenses.

He also expressed disappointment in the way he perceives Democrats have backed away from Israel.

“That’s our key ally, and they have the kinds of values that we live and what we aspire here in our nation,” Fetterman said.

After his sit-down conversation, he took the host on a tour of his office. During that time, he discussed his physical and mental health. Fetterman suffered a stroke in 2022, when he first ran for Senate, and has been open about his struggle with depression.

He said that he’s had people, even members of Congress and staff members in Congress, talk to him about their mental health struggles. He said he feels like he’s “paying it forward,” and said his message to people is to “stay in this game” of life.

“And now, the truth is, regardless of if you’re a U.S. senator or if you are a veteran, whoever you are, the depression doesn’t pick just blue or red. It picks all of us, or can,” Fetterman said.

He concluded the interview by saying he is glad to represent the state he does.

“It’s a pleasure to represent Pennsylvania,” Fetterman said. “In the middle of all of the chaos and the upheaval, I just want to be the responsible voice in the middle of it.”