Trump expresses support for Sen. John Fetterman joining the Republican Party

<p>President Donald Trump praised Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., as a "great guy" on Saturday, stating he would welcome the Pennsylvania Democrat into the Republican Party.</p><p>Trump was asked by a reporter after stepping off Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews whether he had spoken to Fetterman about potentially switching parties. Trump responded, "I'd love to see it. I think he's great." He added, "It's going to be hard for him to get the nomination as a Democrat, but I'd love to have him as a Republican."</p><p>Trump described Fetterman as a "great guy" with "magnificent parents," whom he said he had spoken with previously. He added, "He's a very solid person. He's smart and all that, but he's got great common sense."</p><p>Trump suggested that switching parties could be politically beneficial for Fetterman, stating, "If you look at the polls, he does better as a Republican than he does as a Democrat."</p><p>Trump's comments come as Fetterman has occasionally broken with Democrats on key issues, including the Iran war and immigration, although he continues to vote with his party the vast majority of the time. Since joining the Senate in 2023, Fetterman has voted with Senate Democrats nearly 90% of the time, though that figure has fallen to just under 81% during the current session of Congress, according to Fox News Digital.</p><p>Fetterman's occasional breaks with his party have fueled speculation about a potential switch to the Republican Party. He has reportedly used Republican fundraising platforms to solicit donations and maintains a close friendship with Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala.</p><p>Last month, Fetterman recorded a video introducing Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., at the Republican Midterm Convention. He also mistakenly referred to himself as a lifelong Republican during an appearance at the Texas Tribune's TribFest last month. An attendee asked why Fetterman did not run as an independent, to which he replied, "Because I'm a lifelong Republican," before realizing his mistake.</p><p>Fox News Digital has reached out to Fetterman's office for comment.</p>