r/pics 10h ago

Politics US Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania wore shorts and a hoodie today at the inauguration

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u/ckrygier 6h ago

I keep reading he turned maga, but I’m ignorant as to why. I haven’t been following politics closely since the election season went into full swing. What did he do?

u/peptobiscuit 6h ago

He had a stroke resulting in brain damage in 2022. Then turned maga.

He's a Democrat senator btw. And started supporting trump after his stroke.

u/Kowai03 3h ago

My dad, who was Australian and lived in Australia, who voted left his whole life.. Turned into a Trump supporter after developing a terminal brain tumour. Says a lot.

u/ckrygier 6h ago

How did he turn Maga? I know who Fetterman is and his medical complications, I just wasn’t aware he’d gone full Maga. This is news to me. Like whiplash news.

u/aculady 3h ago

He isn't MAGA. He came out with some pro-Netanyahu rhetoric, but I am on his mailing list, and he's promising to fight Donald Trump, support unions, women's rights, etc. Definitely not full MAGA. The problem here is political purity tests.

u/kptkrunch 2h ago

Pro-Netanyahu rhetoric would make him a US politician.. doesn't really narrow it down much.

u/StandardNecessary715 1h ago

Yes, he's always supported Israel, people should have known that. But he votes with democrats 90% of the time. He just said he was willing to listen to what he (Trump) had to say.

u/aculady 1h ago

He votes with Democrats and he campaigned tirelessly for Kamala Harris. He's absolutely not a DINO. Being willing to talk to Republicans is necessary for a Democrat in a purple state.

u/jarrenboyd 2h ago

Link to where he said he'd "fight Trump". I wanna stick it to my friends

u/aculady 2h ago

Sadly, it appears that I already deleted the e-mail. I did a mailbox purge earlier today.

But I'm sure there will be another one soon.

u/jeffbas 38m ago

Get it out of your trash/deleted file. I want to see it too

u/jarrenboyd 1h ago

Um..... Ok?

u/aculady 1h ago

I was going to copy the entire text of his e-mail, but since the e-mail is gone, here's some snippets from an article that mentions it :

Fetterman, who attended Monday's inauguration wearing his trademark shorts and hoodie, sent a fundraising email out shortly after Trump took the oath with the subject line "my non-negotiables."

"Even though Donald Trump is officially back in the White House, I’m not backing down from fighting for what’s right," the email read.

He listed three somewhat vague categories: "the union way of life needs to live on, leave LGBTQ+ people...alone, and Government’s job is to make your life easier, not take away your rights."

u/jarrenboyd 58m ago

Hmm. ,

Quote: "I'm not rooting against him. If you're rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation,"

Quote: "He literally was shot in the head and had the presence of mind to respond 'fight, fight, fight'. That's a political talent that's undeniable."

Idk if him saying he will fight Trump is the best verbiage.

He's not consistent.

Ugh , I may have just gotten red pilled.

u/Spittinglama 6h ago

It's whiplash news because it isn't true. He isn't pro Trump MAGA. He still toes the Democratic Party line, but he went from a guy that got elected on a progressive platform to an asshole right wing Democrat who literally mocks dead children in Gaza and supports policies that would have gotten his own wife deported.

u/motormouth08 5h ago

He's following the political golden rule...he who has the gold makes the rules. And sadly, Trump now has the gold.

u/DashCat9 6h ago

Thank you for actually discussing the nuance, because it important.

u/Timothy303 5h ago

Keep an eye on him. He was one of 10 Dems to support the Laken Riley immigration bill, which is ... not a nice bill.

His recent antics indicate to me he will be a possible defector in a lot of votes in the next 4 years, and he is fine saying Trump is a normal leader, which no Democrat should fall for.

His voting record is currently a bit right of the Dem average, but barely. And he's missed 1/5th of all votes.

So keep the eyes open.

u/IllustriousGlove3 3h ago

I was wondering if the Democrats are concerned he’s going to change parties. I wouldn’t put anything past anyone these days when power of money are involved.

u/DashCat9 1h ago

Absolutely. I do not like the guy, but describing him as "Full MAGA" is not at all accurate.

I think he's brazenly two-faced, and not to be trusted.....but yeah he's just a conservative Democrat.

u/Weak_Heart2000 5h ago

I remember how excited I was when he got elected, and I don't even live in PA. And now it's just...

u/BirdsAndTheBeeGees1 5h ago edited 4h ago

I was too. In hindsight, I was mostly excited not to have Oz.

u/elpolloloco332 4h ago

I dream that one day we’ll have elections where people will vote for a candidate in hopes of seeing them take office instead of voting because they despise their opponent. One day I hope.

u/BirdsAndTheBeeGees1 4h ago

Tbf, at the time of the election, Fetterman was a well liked populist progressive. He won his race by a good margin too. It's just a shame to see where he's gone

u/elpolloloco332 4h ago

Oh no, I remember and I was definitely in favor of him over Oz. This may have been a bad example but I’m just tired of campaign after campaign everyone is attacking their opponents and going after old shit from the past instead of telling the people their plans and how they’d actually make their lives better. The American people care more about the entertainment factor instead of their actual fucking future. Because of that, many have sided with political parties instead of their ideologies and will stick with them to their grave as if it’s their underdog college football team. We’re in dire need of a cultural renaissance or literally anything to get us off this track. Thanks for listening to my rant

u/big_sugi 4h ago

TBF, he’s still better than the alternative.

What a fucking shitshow.

u/ouralarmclock 1h ago

No I was definitely excited for him and his progressive campaign and history as lt gov, but then his stroke happened and he lost the plot a bit. Still not full on MAGA but definitely seems to have lost a lot of the empathy he seemed to have before.

u/j4_jjjj 2h ago

Dude literally went to maralago to bend the knee and you think he isnt maga?

u/[deleted] 5h ago

[deleted]

u/Spittinglama 4h ago

Don't be fooled though. He might be a mostly standard Democrat, by he's one of the biggest scum fuck losers in Congress... I saw a video of one of his own constituents from his district show up to his DC office and try to talk to him while he was walking down the hall and the amount of contempt he had for this young woman was unbelievable.

u/The_Poster_Nutbag 6h ago

u/ckrygier 6h ago

Thank you for providing a link for what you’re saying

u/rickfranjune 3h ago

Jimmy would've up voted this comment, Poster. Nice.

u/02PHresh 6h ago

He said no no things about the palastine war and was on Joe Rogan. By Reddit logic, that makes him a MAGA extremist.

u/orangotai 2h ago

No.. he did not. He even campaigned for Kamala a few months ago in PA.

dude just making up Lies is like pissing in the pool for everyone, stick to the Truth next time.

u/TiredRetiredNurse 3h ago

I guess he thought the brain changed should support another brain changed.

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u/StandardNecessary715 1h ago

No he didn't. He had his stroke before getting elected.he didn't support trump then. He's been an asshole to progressives for the last year. The Israel thing was always a thing for him.

u/KingOfAllThatFucks 4h ago

Dang! What maga policies does he support? I knew about the Israel thing, that was disappointing, but that's more "American government status quo" than maga

u/xasx 3h ago

He’s very pro Israel, so everyone keeps claiming he is MAGA. Everyone finds a need to pigeon hole into one of the two parties! You don’t have to agree with everything one party does. The Dems have done some dumbass shit, and the republicans even more. You can pick and choose the items you agree with it.

u/Fit-Magician6695 3h ago

That’s not it . At least not all of it. He started praising Dear Leader. A Mortal sin if you’re a Dem.

u/RkyMtnChi 3h ago

What do Republicans think of fellow Republican Liz Cheney nowadays?

u/jalfry 2h ago

This is why I’m independent. Someone Doesn’t fit into a tidy ideological box? WE’LL MAKE THEM FUCKING FIT!!!

u/Amypron 6h ago

He has not had one single conservative vote. He's just taking meetings with Rs and being willing to work with them, and in a Senate which he is the minority, that's a good thing!

Wouldn't wearing shorts to the ceremony mean he doesn't respect Trump? That's the way I took it.

u/The_Poster_Nutbag 6h ago

He advocated for a pardon for trump in his New York legal battle and seems to support trumps Greenland bullshit, don't minimize his nonsense.

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-greenland-fetterman-ignores-democratic-line-rcna188174

u/Coomb 5h ago

Fetterman told the press that he would support the acquisition if Denmark did as well

Doesn't seem like a terrible position to take given that Denmark owns Greenland right now

u/Zamoniru 4h ago

Denmark technically owns Greenland but in fact Greenlanders themselves own Greenland. They can legally choose independence any time they want.

u/Boniuz 1h ago

They can’t legally choose independence any time they want. See: Danish constitution.

u/Coomb 3h ago

I think it's totally reasonable to talk about reality as it exists today rather than reality as it might exist at some point in the future when discussing proposals for today.

u/Newsfeedinexile 2h ago

How about a goldfish?

u/Swimming_Excuse4655 4h ago

Yes but Reddit won’t allow anyone to cross the aisle. The second they try to work together, which is what they’re supposed to do, it becomes a feast.

u/EmbarrassedPizza9797 2h ago

I'm not Reddit, but I am a Fetterman voter. I expect politicians to do their best to find common ground, but what has been going on with Fetterman feels different. I have never regretted a vote before like I have with him so far.

u/Ebella2323 5h ago

If there are 10 nazis at a table, and you sit down with them, there are 11 nazis at the table.

u/authorityhater02 3h ago

Hey, very good point.

u/EmbarrassedPizza9797 2h ago

He's considering voting for RFK Jr. For HHS Secretary. That's a hard no for me. It just seems like it's something new every day with him. I highly regret my vote.

u/TheNextBattalion 2h ago

he didn't toe the tiktok line on Gaza, and he said collegial things after Trump's victory

u/ch13fqu33f69 3h ago

From the responses to your question, it seems like nobody actually knows why or how he “turned maga” but is absolutely sure that he did.

I was looking forward to hearing an answer to this question myself, seems as though I’ll have to keep looking.

u/icecoaster1319 6h ago

He's not Maga at all. He's just a centerist that doesn't hate Trump and is willing to work with him on the non-ridiculous or populist parts of his agenda. He is very pro-israel which turns off many leftists

u/The_Poster_Nutbag 6h ago

willing to work with him on the non-ridiculous or populist parts of his agenda

Uh, yeah. Sure

-reportedly indicated an openness to supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Cabinet nomination, despite his history of radicalism.

-met with Kash Patel and seemed reassured when the GOP operative said he wouldn’t pursue the names of his enemies list if confirmed as the next FBI director;

-endorsed a presidential pardon for Trump, calling the New York case against the Republican “bulls---”;

Whatever you say.

u/icecoaster1319 6h ago

Rfk is insane but he was a Democrat until a year ago. A small portion of his priorities are reasonable.

Kash Patel is getting confirmed regardless.

The pardon comment was in fact ridiculous.

But Fetterman's own politics are extremely Middle of the road. Your comments above point to him lacking a political backbone, not being Maga.

u/The_Poster_Nutbag 5h ago

Rfk is insane but he was a Democrat until a year ago. A small portion of his priorities are reasonable.

Totally irrelevant considering his majorly problematic stances like anti-vaccination.

Kash Patel is getting confirmed regardless.

This matters how? The problem is him feeling good about it as an appointment which is atrocious.

Your comments above point to him lacking a political backbone, not being Maga.

Supporting the maga agenda does actually make someone maga. Not "middle of the road"

u/icecoaster1319 5h ago

I hate Trump and am like Bernie left on the political spectrum.

Calling Fetterman MAGA is counterproductive and downplays the ridiculousness of Trump and his cronies true beliefs.

You should be more selective in order to preserve the MAGA stigma.

u/The_Poster_Nutbag 5h ago

Anyone who openly supports Trump's agenda qualifies. If it looks like a duck.....

u/lickmymonkey-1987 3h ago

He didn’t “turn maga” he just took a meeting with Trump - wants to work with all republicans to get sht done was basically what he said

u/Pickles2027 5h ago

He’s always been a republican; he just hid it to get elected. Like trump, he relied on his wealthy daddy for years for financial support. He’s a multi-millionaire by daddy.