Pennsylvania Democrat Senator John Fetterman has shown a willingness to challenge his party’s norms throughout his time in Congress, and his recent interview is no different.
In a comprehensive discussion with CNN’s Manu Raju, Fetterman addressed numerous issues confronting his party, such as their outspoken resistance to President Donald Trump, which has included drawing parallels between him and Adolf Hitler, the former Nazi dictator.
‘I think you just don’t ever, ever compare anyone to Hitler and those kinds of extreme things,’ Fetterman remarked, also mentioning that Trump was ‘not an autocrat.’
‘Now, look what happened to Charlie Kirk. I mean, you know, the man was shot. Now, we have to lower the temperature,’ the Pennsylvania senator said, referring to the killing of Turning Point USA founder and conservative activist during a speaking event at Utah Valley University last week.
‘We can’t compare people to these kinds of figures in history. And this is not an autocrat. This is a product of a democratic election,’ Fetterman commented.
Raju then asked Fetterman if Trump was ‘shattering any of the norms of democracy in any way?’
‘I’m saying he’s definitely different, but that’s what America voted for,’ Fetterman stated. ‘Again, I don’t agree with many of these things, but that does not make him an autocrat.’
One member of the Democratic Party who has compared Trump to the Nazi dictator is Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is interviewed by CNN’s Manu Raju
President Donald Trump pictured on September 14, 2025
CNN’s Manu Raju interviews Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman
Crockett has made headlines numerous times in recent months as a key critic of the Trump administration, and the issue of congressional redistricting in her home state ahead of the 2026 midterms is a key one that she has spoken out on.
The Texas Congresswoman called Trump ‘Temu Hitler’ in a recent interview with SiriusXM host Zerlina Maxwell, due to the president’s involvement in the redistricting process.
‘So what we have seen is, again, this rogue Department of Justice going out to do the bidding of this Temu Hitler,’ Crockett told Maxwell in July.
In an interview that aired Sunday but was taped last week, Fetterman also told Raju that his party should not vote to shut the government down later this month, as doing so would harm ‘millions of Americans.’
Members of Congress are presently trying to agree on a funding package for the federal government for the coming fiscal year.
Fetterman also dismissed the idea that Trump’s deployments of national guard troops into Democrat led cities were an occupation, adding that the service members he encountered in his Washington, DC neighborhood of Navy Yard, just south of Capitol Hill were ‘friendly.’
Other notable deviations by Fetterman from his party in recent months have included his dedicated support for Israel and the Jewish people, as well as his vote in favor of Trump’s nominee for Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The senior senator from Pennsylvania also appears to enjoy a genuine friendship and cohesive working relationship with his more junior counterpart, Republican Senator Dave McCormick, who was elected last year.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., left, and Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Penn., right, display hoodies presented by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate after participating in a debate Monday, June 2, 2025, at the at the institute, Monday, June 2, 2025, in Boston
Fetterman has also backed Trump’s controversial trade policies, telling Fox News Digital in August that the Trump administration’s aggressive use of tariffs has been effective so far.
‘Absolutely,’ Fetterman said at the time when asked if he believed the U.S. is winning the trade war.
Despite the occasional disagreements with members of his party, Fetterman confirmed that he still considers himself to be a Democrat.
