Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined Lara Trump for an interview on My View, emphasizing the importance of engaging with people on both sides of the political divide.
Recently, the Pennsylvania senator has diverged from his party on several major issues, including the confirmation of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, support for the Laken Riley Act on border security, and backing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Now, his stance on the ongoing government shutdown is drawing attention.
“Whether it’s Republican or Democrat, whatever is driving the shutdown, that’s always wrong,” Fetterman said. “You may have a noble goal, but that is the wrong tactic.”
He added that his focus is on representing all Pennsylvanians, not just one political group.
“I’m not just representing Democrats,” Fetterman said. “I’m representing 13 million Pennsylvanians.”
Fetterman also highlighted his efforts to work across the aisle. After the tragic killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, he partnered with Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., to introduce the Laken Riley Act.
“She reached out saying, hey, would you be willing to co-sponsor?” he recalled.
“I’m very, very pro-immigration, always have been,” Fetterman explained. But he acknowledged that his party “has done a bad job” when it comes to securing the border.
Together, Fetterman and Britt also introduced the Stop the Scroll Act, which would require social media companies to include mental health warning labels on their platforms.
When discussing U.S. strikes in Iran, Fetterman voiced strong support.
“How can we allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon?” he asked. “That would transform the Middle East for the worst.”
He said the strikes helped pave the way for a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and praised them as a foreign policy success for President Donald Trump — one he believes Democrats have been reluctant to acknowledge.
The senator also reflected on his January dinner with Trump, describing it as a constructive meeting where they found areas of agreement.
“It’s not about bending the knee,” Fetterman said.
He cautioned against using inflammatory language such as calling political opponents “Nazis” or “fascists,” arguing that such labels unfairly demonize voters and deepen national divisions.
Fetterman also condemned the rise in extreme rhetoric following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
“I refuse to believe the very worst things about the other side, because I just know that’s not true,” he said. “We are forgetting that we — Republicans and Democrats — need each other.”
