Even some of Democratic Sen. John Fetterman’s staffers were caught off guard when they saw him appearing in a video at the Republican midterm convention, according to two sources.
But they weren’t exactly surprised.
Fetterman has a long history of breaking with his own party, voting for some of Trump’s nominees and backing the president’s military actions in the Middle East. But more than that, the sources said, he is unusually close with the Senate colleague he introduced at the convention: GOP Sen. Dave McCormick.
One source involved in the convention programming said McCormick was key to securing Fetterman’s participation; another insisted it wasn’t a challenge to get the Pennsylvania Democrat on board. His decision to participate, though, infuriated Democrats, who accused him of subverting his own party’s efforts to win in November and giving Republicans a gratuitous win.
The convention, after all, was meant to rile up the Trump base and attract media attention; it was designed by some of the same Trump political team members who had him flipping burgers at McDonald’s during the 2024 campaign. Some Republicans briefed on the planning said officials had even hoped Fetterman might show up in person, raising the shock value.
