Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., delivered one of his sharpest rebukes yet of the Democratic Party’s left flank, telling the New York Post in an exclusive interview published Saturday that recent victories by Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates prove his warning that the party is becoming “an orgy of socialism.”
“I said months ago, I said the Democratic Party is becoming an orgy of socialism. These recent elections vindicate my description,” Fetterman told the outlet, after DSA-backed candidates captured three Democratic House primaries in New York this week.
The Pennsylvania Democrat singled out congressional nominee Darializa Avila Chevalier, calling her “deeply disturbed.”
“Chevalier described America as a f**king disgrace. She posted ‘f**k Kamala Harris’ and posted that she forgot napkins and wiped her hands on the American flag.”
“She wants to abolish the border, abolish prisons. That is a deeply disturbed individual,” Fetterman said.
He also mocked Chevalier’s association with Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, whose controversial Reddit posts have come under scrutiny.
“P-Hustle and Chevalier, the dirtbag left’s new power couple,” Fetterman quipped, referring to Platner’s online username.
Despite his increasingly public criticism of his own party, Fetterman stopped short of signaling an imminent departure from the Democratic Party, though he notably left the possibility open.
“Even if I changed my party, my votes or views wouldn’t change,” he said, pointing to a May Washington Post opinion column in which he described himself as an independent voice. “I address this very directly. That’s the truth.”
Since taking office in 2023, Fetterman has steadily emerged as one of the Senate’s most politically independent Democrats, often breaking with progressives on immigration, crime and, most notably, Israel.
Following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack, Fetterman became one of the Democratic Party’s strongest supporters of Israel, consistently defending Israel’s military campaign against Hamas while backing tougher measures against Iran.
He recently stood alone among Senate Democrats in supporting President Donald Trump’s position on an Iran War Powers resolution, further underscoring his willingness to defy party leadership on national security.
That hawkish pro-Israel stance has earned Fetterman praise from Republicans and many pro-Israel Democrats while making him a frequent target of the party’s progressive wing, where criticism of Israel has become increasingly common.
His political balancing act comes as he prepares to defend his seat in Pennsylvania, one of the nation’s premier battleground states.
While Fetterman remains a uniquely recognizable political figure, recent polling has shown his approval ratings underwater, and his criticism of the Democratic Party’s left has fueled speculation about a potential primary challenge.
Among those already mentioned as a possible 2028 challenger is Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb, a self-described democratic socialist who recently won his Democratic primary.