Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman went full friendly fire on Tuesday, telling Democrats they need to pump the brakes on cozying up to people who think Mao Zedong had some really great ideas. As Conservative Brief reported, the hoodie-wearing senator was attending the Israel on Campus Coalition's National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. when he decided to torch his own team on Fox News.
Fetterman's main target was Hasan Piker, a far-left Twitch streamer with millions of followers who has openly praised Mao Zedong and defended Cuba's authoritarian government while pointing the finger at America for Cuba's problems. Piker has also supported New York City's socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani and hit the campaign trail with progressive Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Fetterman basically said he wouldn't give the time of day to someone just because they're popular on a streaming platform. "Whatever that is," he added about Twitch, which is the most dad energy thing a senator has ever uttered.
He went on to say that anyone identifying with a communist who glorifies Mao and Cuba should be completely incompatible with the Democratic Party. You know, pretty basic stuff that apparently needs to be spelled out now.
Tuesday's primary results gave Fetterman some ammunition. In Missouri, moderate Rep. Wesley Bell knocked off former Rep. Cori Bush, who had been backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Meanwhile, in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary, El-Sayed was locked in a nail-biter with more centrist Rep. Haley Stevens as votes were still being tallied into Wednesday morning.
Fetterman also called out California Governor Gavin Newsom for labeling Israel an "apartheid state," insisting Newsom knows perfectly well that description is inaccurate. He argued that opposing Israel has essentially become a required loyalty oath on the party's left flank. He also pointed out that the word "Zionist" is now being weaponized as an insult, forcing pro-Israel Democrats to justify a position that shouldn't need justification.
The summit itself drew more than 800 pro-Israel college students for training on fighting antisemitism and strengthening ties between the U.S. and Israel on campuses.
President Donald Trump, never one to let Democrats roast each other without jumping in, offered his own colorful commentary. He suggested progressives should just go ahead and create "the communists of America" party, predicting it would pull roughly 10 percent of the vote. He also called the Democratic Party "a mess," which, regardless of your political affiliation, is objectively hilarious coming from the guy whose own party meetings sometimes resemble professional wrestling promos.
Fetterman also highlighted his maverick foreign policy credentials, noting he was the sole Senate Democrat backing the Trump administration's military strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. He has additionally broken with his party on certain War Powers resolutions related to that issue. Say what you will about the man, but he is absolutely committed to being the Democrat that other Democrats wish would stop talking.
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