After months of speculation that Sen. John Fetterman is planning to become a Republican, the Pennsylvania man on Saturday during a live interview let it slip, “I’m a lifelong Republican.”
Of course, he backtracked when the interviewer brought his attention to what he had said, and Fetterman laughed and noted, “That’ll get clipped.”
Then he corrected his statement and said, “I’m a lifelong Democrat.”
The moderator at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, CBS News’ Major Garrett, continually pressed Fetterman on whether he was considering leaving the Democratic Party, but Fetterman again said he was committed to remaining a Democrat.
“I’ve said I have no path as a Republican. That’s a fact,” he said. “If the Democratic Party votes me out or expels me, they’re always entitled to do that,” he continued.
And yet Fetterman refused to speculate how he would break ties if his party attained a 51-seat majority this November.
Fetterman said he felt it was entirely possible that Democrats would take control of the Senate in November, and acknowledged that he would be in a position to cast tie-breaking votes for party-line legislation.
“Let’s revisit after the midterms, and let’s see what happens, you know, if I happen to be 51. I don’t know,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman said he is also waiting until then to decide if he will run for reelection in 2028, but continues to fundraise for the possibility.