There is new speculation that Sen. John Fetterman is on the cusp of leaving the Democratic Party, something that would ripple through the political world like an atom bomb.What’s more, the party itself is pushing Fetterman to the brink.Fetterman, D-Pa., who has frequently drawn attention for breaking with fellow Democrats and expressing support for some Republican-backed policies, has launched a joint fundraising effort with a Republican senator.
Pennsylvania’s two U.S. senators, despite representing opposing parties, have teamed up to create a joint fundraising committee ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 campaign cycle.
The committee, called Common Ground PA, has been registered with the Federal Election Commission.
FEC records showed that Common Ground PA listed four joint fundraising PACs: Every Vote PAC, Pennsylvania Honor, Fetterman for PA, and Friends of Dave McCormick.
“Fetterman is listed as the leadership PAC sponsor for Every Vote PAC, while McCormick is named as the leadership PAC sponsor for Pennsylvania Honor,” local media reported, citing information contained in the filing.
“This is a donor-driven effort,” Mike DeVanney, a McCormick campaign spokesman, told The Center Square.
“This group of donors value the collaboration exhibited by Senators McCormick and Fetterman for Pennsylvania and want to support both of them,” Devanney added.
Fetterman’s repeated disagreements with the Democratic Party’s progressive wing—particularly over U.S. support for Israel and the growing influence of Democratic Socialists—have fueled speculation that he could eventually switch parties as Republicans and Democrats continue to battle for control of the Senate.
The fundraising collaboration is drawing criticism already from the hard left.
“So so bad,” Fox News analyst and lefty Jessica Tarlov remarked on X.
Rick Wilson, the one-time pretend Republican who sprinted to Democrats following President Trump’s first election victory, speculated that Fetterman is “gonna flip.”
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., distanced himself from the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, arguing that members of what he described as the “dirtbag left” no longer belong under the Democratic banner.
Speaking during an interview at the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize event, Fetterman said the recent success of candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America reflects the rise of a political movement that he believes is fundamentally different from the mainstream Democratic Party.
“It was a really it was a really big night for the dirtbag left. You know, last week, without a doubt,” he said.
He went on to say that many of the things pushed by the democratic socialists are incompatible with the Democrat Party he joined years ago.
Earlier this month, Fetterman actually revealed “the one thing” that would cause him to abandon his party.
During an interview on Fox News, Fetterman told host Sean Hannity that he would leave the Democratic Party if it became an “anti-Israel party” and if denying Israel’s “right to defend itself and to exist” became “a formal part of our platform.”
Since Hamas’s attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, the senator has been a vocal advocate for Israel and its interests in Congress.
Since President Donald Trump took office, Fetterman has repeatedly criticized fellow Democratic lawmakers’ comments towards the administration and broken with colleagues on some votes – although he still votes with party lines most of the time.
“My real concern is the Democratic Party is going to put it into the platform, you know, as an anti-Israel party, that Israel does not have the right to defend itself and to exist,” Fetterman said.
“And the second that becomes a formal part of our platform, that’s the one thing that would push me out of this party,” Fetterman added.
“I’m deeply alarmed by the way the Democratic Party is going after Israel and allowing just rank anti-semitism to just flourish, you know, on the left and on the campuses too,” Fetterman continued.