Sen. John Fetterman has denied rumors that he is going to switch parties, telling Semafor that “it’s not gonna happen.”
Speculation that the Pennsylvania Democrat was going to change his affiliation received a boost after New Jersey Assemblyman Jamel Holley wrote on X on Monday that he "just left a conversation, and my source indicated to me that a key Democratic senator is expected to change party affiliation to Republican by next week. Wow!"
Fetterman responded by calling the rumors "amateur hour" and told Semafor that "it’s not gonna happen. And even if I wanted to do that, that is a rocket sled to Palookaville to try to switch. I would make a pretty bad Republican.”
He also stressed that he would not follow in the footsteps of former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who both changed their political affiliations from Democrat to Independent while serving in office.
Fetterman had given what many in the Democratic Party thought were clear indications of his deliberations about switching allegiances.
He had earlier this month defied party leadership and traveled to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Donald Trump after he won the presidential election.
Fetterman has also worked together with Republicans on the Laken Riley Act. In addition, he has urged fellow Democrats not to go crazy every time Trump is involved in a controversial action and to remain with an open mind to confirming the president's nominees.
Despite those moves, Fetterman told Semafor that his party affiliation and place in the Senate Democrat caucus is “not going to change,” adding that he has privately expressed that to colleagues in leadership.