Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., told Fox News on Saturday that he no longer believes he shares “any more common ground” with the far-left faction of the Democratic Party over its position on Israel.
Appearing on “Saturday in America,” Fetterman also criticized the push to oust Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and replace him with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. He additionally labeled his newly announced 2028 Democratic primary challenger, Gaza-born Palestinian-American writer and activist Ahmed Moor, “pro-Hamas.”
“I have a strong, strong difference of opinion on Israel and the Jewish community overall now. I don’t think there’s going to be any more common ground,” Fetterman told Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany.
“If someone can’t identify that Iran is an enemy committed to destroying Israel and our nation as well, once again, this is the kind of individual that the Democratic Party elected,” he added.
After midterm elections in which Democrats reclaimed control of both the House and Senate, Schumer is facing an internal challenge to his leadership. Van Hollen announced Thursday that he would seek to replace Schumer, earning backing from progressive lawmakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, D-Mich.
Fetterman said a Van Hollen victory would raise serious concerns.
“It would be troubling if my caucus elects someone like Van Hollen, who has really made his name being very … hostile to Israel,” Fetterman said when asked whether a Van Hollen victory would cross a “red line.”
Fetterman argued that Van Hollen has built his profile around strongly “anti-Israel” positions. He also pointed to the Maryland senator’s high-profile trip to El Salvador to meet with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant deported by the Trump administration.
“Other than that, I can’t really think of what Van Hollen’s known for, but he became like a progressive darling,” Fetterman said. “I don’t see that he has a path to be leader, but overall it’s possible because just last weekend I had a lot of people protesting, demanding that we vote against Schumer.”
“We have to find a way forward. After our massive wins, we immediately go back to fighting among ourselves. Can’t we just take the win?” he added.
Fetterman also urged Democrats to pursue bipartisan solutions on the national debt, artificial intelligence, Iran and Social Security. He said he hoped the party could find ways to work with the White House.
“My hope is that our party doesn’t revert to our worst impulses. I am going to extend and just hope for bipartisan solutions and work with the White House if that’s possible. That’s where my votes will be,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman also took aim at Moor, who announced a 2028 Democratic primary challenge against the Pennsylvania senator earlier in the week.
“This is someone who is very proud, very proud, pro-Hamas, and there are parts of my Democratic base that find my views more troubling or offensive — my strong support of Israel versus his views,” Fetterman said.
“I’m always going to support Israel. Iran knows that it’s very unlikely the Democratic Party is going to hold the Iranian regime accountable. I think we deserve to have that conversation,” he added.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Moor’s campaign rejected Fetterman’s characterization, saying the candidate “condemns violence against civilians by anyone” and accusing the senator of failing to represent Pennsylvanians.
“Ahmed Moor is running on a platform of dignity, justice, and the rule of law. This includes ensuring that American tax dollars are spent in ways that benefit Americans, not on killing innocent people abroad. These views are in line with the majority of Pennsylvanians, whom Fetterman has failed to accurately represent in Congress,” the campaign said.
The campaign also said Moor supports “an arms embargo and targeted sanctions until Palestinians have equal rights” and would “fight antisemitism and anti-Palestinian racism with the same conviction.”
Fox News Digital contacted Van Hollen’s office for comment.
