Pennsylvania’s senior senator, John Fetterman, is known for his unorthodox political maneuvers, including aligning with former President Donald Trump on certain issues, defying traditional party expectations.

This unanticipated strategy could lead to a significant primary challenge in 2028, the next time Fetterman faces reelection. Potential contenders being discussed include Congressmen Brendan Boyle and Chris Deluzio, along with former Representative Conor Lamb, according to a report by Axios.

When queried by an Axios journalist about these potential rivals, Fetterman humorously retorted, “Enjoy your clickbait!” and added, “Please do not contact.” Despite the potential threat of challengers, Fetterman might remain unfazed, as Axios mentions that those familiar with him believe he harbors presidential aspirations.

During a Fox News appearance this past Sunday, Fetterman told Sunday Morning Futures anchor Maria Bartiromo that he felt ‘absolute elation,’ over the peace deal orchestrated by the president last week between Israel and Hamas. Fetterman also noted that legislating and speaking in the Senate based on his political views which don’t fall in line with most of his Democrat colleagues has ‘been very isolating.’ Regardless of what ‘the base might want … I think it’s the right thing … my kinds of positions are reasonable, because I’m not going to follow just the party line. I’m going to think, hey, independently,’ Fetterman also told Bartiromo.

Fetterman has been unafraid of bucking his party’s status quo during his tenure in Congress, and another a wide-ranging conversation with CNN’s Manu Raju shared last month was no exception. At the time, Fetterman touched on many issues plaguing his party, including their very vocal opposition to Trump, which has included comparing him to the former dictator of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler. ‘I think you just don’t ever, ever compare anyone to Hitler and those kinds of extreme things,’ Fetterman noted, also adding 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 turn the temperature down,’ the Pennsylvania senator added, referencing the assassination of the Turning Point USA founder and conservative activist who was killed last month during a speaking tour stop at Utah Valley University. ‘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 added. 

On a DailyMail+ Power List of top Democrats released this summer, Fetterman was the second most popular person, coming seventh right behind Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders who ranked sixth. The top five names on the Democrat list were all celebrities.

Fetterman is additionally butting heads with top leaders in his party over the ongoing federal government shutdown. He was one of three non-Republicans to vote for the GOP’s funding package before the shutdown and has not shied away from pointing the finger at fellow Democrats for the shutdown. ‘Shutting the government is really what the Democratic Party wants to do… [Obamacare subsidies were] designed by the Democratic Party to expire … This is not something taken by the Republicans,’ Fetterman shared during a NewsNation town hall that took place at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday.

Fetterman won his 2022 general election against Mehmet Oz with 51.17 percent of the vote after beating Lamb by over a 2:1 margin, raking in 58.6 percent of the vote to Lamb’s 26.3 percent. Asked by reporter Tara Palmeri about his party’s ability to win back White men like himself, Fetterman shared that the prognosis was weak. ‘I don’t know. And truthfully, I’m not sure if that’s possible, to be honest,’ Fetterman replied.