Fetterman Torches the ‘Toxic’ Democratic Party, Admits They ‘Lose the Argument’ [WATCH]

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat, acknowledged that his party’s brand has become “toxic” after years of “shaming and scolding” voters, raising doubts about whether they can recover lost ground, particularly among men.

Speaking on the “Somebody’s Gotta Win” podcast Thursday, Fetterman discussed the Democratic Party’s image following the 2024 election and the challenges it faces in regaining voter trust.

Journalist Tara Palmeri, who hosted the discussion, noted that even Democratic insiders recognize the party’s decline.

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Fetterman pointed to Democratic rhetoric as a major reason for voter alienation, arguing that the party has spent too much time attacking and demeaning its opponents.

“I think their primary currency was shaming and scolding and talking down to people and telling them ‘Hey, I know better than you, or you’re dopes, or you’re a bro, or you’re ignorant or, how can you be this dumb? I can’t imagine it. And then, by the way, they’re fascists. How can you vote for that?’” Fetterman said.

He pushed back against the party’s broad-brush labeling of Trump supporters, particularly in states like Pennsylvania, where many residents supported the former president.

“And you know, when you’re in a state like Pennsylvania, I know and I love people that voted for Trump, and they’re not fascist. They don’t support insurrection and those things. And if you go to an extreme, and you become a boutique kind of proposition, then you’re going to lose the argument. And we have done that.”

Fetterman described the 2024 election as a “gut-check kind of vote,” suggesting that most Americans were not focused on specific policies but instead on which candidate best reflected their personal view of the American way of life.

Following the Democratic National Committee (DNC) election, Fetterman admitted he was “not sure” if the party could reverse its decline, particularly among male voters.

The Pennsylvania senator highlighted how men have been drifting away from the Democratic Party, pointing to the way they are often portrayed in left-wing political circles.

“I think that’s been seriously eroding for a while. And in some cases, in the conversations I’ve had, a lot of people, they don’t even want to say it publicly, but they just feel like the other side seems like…the men’s the problem,” Fetterman said.

“Men are to blame. Or their masculinity is toxic. Or unless you’re able to conform to our very strict kinds of definition of what we think is appropriate, well then, hey, I’m going to find an alternative. And they’ve done that. That’s absolutely true.”

He warned that the party’s rejection of male voters may be difficult to undo.

“And once [they’ve] kind of turned their back on that demographic, it’s going to be difficult to rebuild and replace that with those voters, because I think that migration has been an ongoing phenomenon for several years and that has been in front and center in part of the election in ’24.”

John Fetterman explains why Democrat party brand is toxic, and is not sure the Democrats can ‘win white men back’:
Tara Palmeri: “Why is the Democratic Party viewed as toxic by so many? Even people inside the party acknowledge that.”
John Fetterman: “I think their primary… pic.twitter.com/q5BZXDdrbI

— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) February 6, 2025

Since the election, Fetterman has been one of the few Democrats openly critical of his party, particularly when it comes to issues like border security.

During a November appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” he admitted that Democrats had failed to address the immigration crisis.

“Well, one area where we kind of lost ourselves was the border,” Fetterman said.

“And I’ve been on this network, you know, months, months ago saying, ‘Hey, you know, it can’t be controversial for our party to have pro-immigration, but we need a secure border.’ And when we ask or demand people to not believe what they see, and see those kinds of numbers, that that’s not a problem. It’s like, well, then you lose about that 100%.”

Fetterman’s remarks reflect growing frustration within the Democratic Party as it struggles to win back key voters, particularly in battleground states like Pennsylvania, where blue-collar workers and male voters have increasingly shifted toward Republicans.

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