The freshman Senator’s choice to skip the DNC may show new cracks in the Democratic coalition.
Pennsylvania Democrats including Governor Shapiro, Senator Casey, and Lt. Governor Davis all took the trip to Chicago for the 2024 Democrat National Convention, but freshman Senator John Fetterman has been a notable absence.
Governor Shapiro, who just narrowly lost out to Governor Walz for the VP nod, has been busy while at the convention, and is expected to speak in a primetime slot during night 3 on Wednesday. Shapiro has made sure to get in front of the cameras during press gaggles, including an interview that aired on Monday in which he attacked Pennsylvania Republican Scott Perry.
I think we got a chance to beat Scott Perry,” said Shapiro before continuing “He is absolutely, fundamentally full of shit. The people of Pennsylvania know that, and I’m going to do everything in my power to defeat that guy.”
Senator Fetterman’s absence on the other hand has left him out of the DNC spotlight.
In an interview with The Free Press, Fetterman claims his decision “was made well before” the infamous debate between Biden and Trump in June, and was a decision made in advance based merely on his kids’ summer vacation. “I’ve got three young kids, and they’re out of school,” said Fetterman in the interview. “That’s four days I can spend with my children.”
While Fetterman claims his kids are the only reason for skipping, his relationship with fellow Pennsylvania Democrats, as well as his open hostility towards the anti-Israel flank of his party are hard to ignore.
Senator Fetterman and his fellow Pennsylvania Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro have had an icy relationship going back years, but recently spilled into public view. Just a few weeks ago, Governor Shapiro was announced as a finalist to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate – with him being the odds-on favorite as late as the weekend before the pick. A late surge of stories revealing controversy during his time as Attorney General seemingly directed Harris toward Minnesota Governor Tim Walz with one of the high-profile sources being Fetterman.
While other high-profile Pennsylvania Democrats like Senator Bob Casey voiced support for Shapiro, Fetterman remained quiet according to his different platforms. Furthermore, according to a report from Politico, Fetterman had aides from his office contact aides from Vice President Harris’s office to express concerns with Shaprio. Among those concerns was Shapiro placing his personal ambitions above all else and his record on the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons which Fetterman also served on.
A few weeks since the reported snub, it does not look like Governor Shapiro has forgiven Pennsylvania’s freshman Senator according to comments made during a roundtable early Wednesday at the DNC.
Fetterman is a rare occurrence on the progressive left due to his staunch pro-Israel views, which have made him a target for leftist protestors and politicians. Fetterman directly attacked anti-Israeli members of his party with social media attacks on ‘Squad’ Democrats Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. He was also outspoken against the anti-Israel campus protests that roiled colleges across the country, going so far as to liken the protests at Columbia to a white supremacist rally.
With thousands of anti-Israel protestors descending on Chicago to protest the Biden-Harris administration’s support for Israel, someone with Fetterman’s pro-Israel views could potentially not be kindly welcomed to the DNC.
