Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman mocked the Working Families Party (WFP) on Tuesday after the group announced it would support a primary challenge against him. The WFP posted on X that it planned to target Fetterman following his vote to pass a budget bill that reopened the government, accusing him of having “once again sold out working Pennsylvanians.”
Fetterman responded on Fox News’ The Story, saying that a left-wing challenger would likely make him look more appealing to voters. “Ooh, ooh, oh, I hope, promise. I hope so,” he joked. “Because I guarantee whoever they put up, they’re going to make me look like the reasonable guy—someone willing to work with both sides and find solutions for Pennsylvania.”
He defended his vote to keep the government open, calling the WFP’s criticism false. “And now it’s an absolute lie,” Fetterman said. “Voting to keep our government open—that was a vote to make sure that 42 million Americans continued receiving SNAP benefits. And now we’re also covering pay for the military, the Capitol Police, and all these other essential workers.”
Fetterman emphasized that his vote reflected what he described as common sense and core values. “So now, if they want to primary me, that’s fine. But my point is, I’ve always put the country first—beyond party politics. Most people now realize that shutting down the government was wrong.”
The senator, who ran as a self-described progressive in 2022, has clashed with some members of his own party over foreign policy, immigration, and handling of the government shutdown, as well as his relatively diplomatic approach toward former President Donald Trump. He criticized Democratic leadership for refusing to reopen the government during the record-long shutdown, saying the standoff was hurting Americans.
Despite tensions, Fetterman has repeatedly stated that he has no intention of leaving the Democratic Party. During the shutdown, he told Fox & Friends that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) “never” spoke with him about the issue, adding, “No one really knows who is leading the Democrats right now.”
Fetterman detailed his own role in pushing to reopen the government. “I really kind of led the charge back in March. I knew where my vote would be in September. Keeping the government open has always been a hard yes for me. It’s a matter of principle—it’s wrong to shut down the government.”
He continued, highlighting the human consequences of the shutdown: “We would have put 42 million Americans at risk for SNAP benefits, delayed pay for our military, and left the Capitol Police unpaid for weeks. That’s a violation of my core values and, frankly, a violation of our party’s values as well.”
Fetterman also criticized his colleagues for turning the shutdown into a political stunt. “Americans are not leverage,” he said. When asked who is currently in charge of the Democratic Party, he replied candidly, “No one really knows. My values are reflected in my vote and the policies I support. If that puts me at odds with parts of my party, that’s okay. We need to be a big-tent party.”
