WASHINGTON
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) appeared in a prerecorded video at President Trump's midterm convention Wednesday night, introducing Republican Sen. Dave McCormick to the crowd.
Standing before a steel mill in his trademark hoodie, Fetterman praised McCormick as a friend who "gets the job done" and pledged to work with Trump to protect Pennsylvania's steel industry.
"I'm always going to stand with America," Fetterman said in the roughly one-minute video. "I'm always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life." He called McCormick a "great American" and vowed to "fight and defend the steel way of life" in western Pennsylvania with Trump.
McCormick embraced the endorsement enthusiastically, asking the crowd, "How great is John Fetterman?" and thanking him for his "friendship" and "courage." The White House amplified the clip on social media with the caption "Based John Fetterman."
The convention was explicitly designed to help Republicans maintain control of Congress in the November midterms. Fetterman's appearance weeks before the elections highlighted a growing rift within the Democratic Party.
Fetterman has increasingly broken with Democrats to forge common ground with Republicans. He and McCormick formed a joint fundraising committee, an unusual arrangement for members of opposing parties. Fetterman has also appeared frequently on Fox News, backed Trump's Iran strategy, and split with congressional Democrats during last year's government shutdown.
Democratic leaders reacted sharply. Former Rep. Conor Lamb, whom Fetterman defeated in Pennsylvania's 2022 Senate primary, compared the video to a "North Korean newscast." Rep. Chris Deluzio told CNN that Fetterman was "nowhere to be found" in his home state during efforts to flip competitive House seats.
Local media outlets also criticized the move. The Philadelphia Inquirer and 6abc Philadelphia both reported on Fetterman's widening distance from his party and constituents.
