Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa., has delivered a blunt message to his party: stop the theatrics and start focusing.
In a candid interview with The New York Times, Fetterman criticized Democrats’ overreaction to President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, warning that the endless hand-wringing is only emboldening Trump and sidelining the left, as reported by Fox News.
“We’re not even at Thanksgiving, and Democrats just can’t stop losing our minds every fifteen minutes,” Fetterman told reporter Jess Bidgood. “We really need to pace ourselves, or, you know, FFS [for f—’s sake], just grab a grip.”
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Fetterman’s comments came in response to whether Democrats should analyze their loss. He suggested the party take a deep breath and reassess its strategy rather than flying into hysteria.
“Realize that this is how elections go. At least for the next two years, they’re going to have the opportunity to write the narrative and to drive the narrative,” he stated, alluding to the Republican control that comes with Trump’s win.
When asked about the Democratic response to Trump’s cabinet picks, Fetterman urged patience and caution, emphasizing the importance of picking strategic battles.
“I’m just saying, buckle up and pack a lunch, because it’s going to be four years of this,” he said.
“If you have a choice to freak out, you know, on the hour, then that’s your right. But I will not. I’m not that dude, and I’m not that Democrat. I’m going to pick my fights.”
His sharpest criticism was aimed at the constant outrage from his party. “If you freak out on everything, you lose any kind of relevance,” he warned.
The senator noted the counterproductive nature of Democrats’ behavior, describing it as a “symbiotic” relationship that fuels Trump’s momentum. “The Democrats can’t resist a freakout, and that must be the wind under the wings for Trump,” Fetterman said.
Reflecting on the 2024 election results, Fetterman pointed out that the time for alarm was before Election Day, not after. Trump’s decisive victory in Pennsylvania, Fetterman’s home state, underscored his enduring strength in the region.
“Does clutching the pearls so hard — does that change anything? Did it work? Did it change the election? Was it productive?” he asked rhetorically. “And, like, I can’t believe the outrage. That has to be candy for Trump.”
Fetterman, who won his Senate seat in 2022, had repeatedly warned his party about Trump’s appeal in Pennsylvania, a state that has now voted with the winner in the last five presidential elections. Despite Joe Biden carrying the state in 2020, Fetterman’s warnings about Trump’s traction went largely unheeded.
As Democrats grapple with their defeat, Fetterman’s message is clear: the party must stop the performative outrage and focus on building a coherent strategy. Otherwise, he warns, they risk irrelevance in the face of a resurgent Trump movement.
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