Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Moron who is one-third-Democrat, two-turds Republican, is paid handsomely by AIPAC to say he loves settler Israel's genocide of the indigenous Palestinians. So much so that he may move to a Zionist settlement on stolen Palestinian land there after he is kicked out of the Senate in 2028.
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John Fetterman signals breaking point with Democrats over Van Hollen
Hannah Parry
Sat, November 14, 2026
Senator John Fetterman has signaled that he could reach a breaking point with the Democratic Party if Senator Chris Van Hollen is elected to Senate majority leader.
Fetterman, who has repeatedly clashed with members of his own party over Israel, suggested that Van Hollen's potential leadership appointment would be troubling because of his criticism of the Israeli government.
Asked by Kayleigh McEnany during a Fox News interview on Saturday whether Van Hollen becoming majority leader would represent a red line that could prompt him to leave the Democratic Party, Fetterman responded: "Yeah, absolutely, it would be troubling if my caucus elects someone like Van Hollen, that has really made his name being very…hostile to Israel."
Van Hollen has become one of the Senate's more outspoken critics of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and its military campaign in Gaza. In November 2024, he supported resolutions seeking to block certain U.S. sales of offensive weapons to Israel, arguing that American military assistance should not amount to a "blank check" for the Israeli government. He stressed that he continued to support Israel's right to defend itself and the transfer of defensive systems such as Iron Dome but called for offensive weapons deliveries to be paused until Netanyahu's government complied with U.S. laws and humanitarian requirements.
Van Hollen has since gone further in his criticism. He joined efforts in March to block nearly $659 million in proposed offensive weapons sales to Israel. Most recently, he led a group of senators urging congressional leaders to remove provisions from the 2027 defense bill that would mandate expanded U.S.-Israel military and intelligence cooperation.
Fetterman's comments come as Van Hollen prepares to challenge Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for the party's top Senate leadership position following Democrats' sweeping victories in the midterm elections.
The Pennsylvania senator has previously warned that he would consider leaving the Democratic Party if it became "the anti-Israel party." He also questioned why Democrats were directing so much criticism toward Israel rather than Iran and militant groups including Hezbollah and Hamas.
Newsweek has reached out to Fetterman and Van Hollen for comment via email on Saturday.
Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania [One-Third-Democrat, Two-Turds Republican], speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol on July 27, 2026. (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images)
Van Hollen Challenges Schumer
Van Hollen announced Thursday that he would challenge Schumer for the Senate leadership position, arguing that Democrats needed a change in direction following the election.
"In this election, Americans called on us to unrig an economy rigged against working people & fueled by political corruption," Van Hollen of Maryland wrote in a post on X. "To deliver, we need new leadership. This isn't about any one person–it's about answering that call."
Van Hollen had secured public commitments from progressive Senators Bernie Sanders and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, as well as incoming senators Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan and Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota.
Other progressive Democrats, including Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and incoming senators Troy Jackson of Maine and Juliana Stratton of Illinois, were also seen as potential supporters. Several other Democrats, including Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, simply indicated they would not support Schumer.
Schumer, however, has reportedly expressed confidence that he has sufficient support to secure the leadership position.
Van Hollen has acknowledged that he is the underdog but argues that Democrats need to address public dissatisfaction with Washington.
"Let me be clear, I'm the underdog in this race," Van Hollen said during a press conference at the What's Next conference in Denver. He said that the majority leader has "lots of powers of incumbency to try to make deals or agreements with people," describing that as "part of the problem with the process."
Van Hollen said his decision to run was motivated by the need to close what he called the "trust deficit" between voters and political leaders.
"I don't think you can close the trust deficit by simply returning to the status quo or business as usual. That's why I decided to run for the Senate majority leader position," he said.
Democrats currently hold 55 Senate seats following their victories in the midterm elections, giving the party control of the chamber.
The leadership contest could expose divisions within the caucus over its future direction, including disagreements over foreign policy and the party's approach to Israel.
Fetterman's Growing Divide With Democrats
Fetterman has increasingly found himself at odds with Democratic colleagues over the Middle East, immigration and government spending. He has been one of Israel's most vocal supporters in the Senate, opposing Democratic efforts to restrict or block certain weapons sales to the country.
He was also the only Senate Democrat to oppose a motion on a resolution restricting President Donald Trump's war powers over Iran.
On immigration, Fetterman has called for stronger border security and opposed Democratic proposals to restrict Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, including efforts to prohibit agents from wearing masks.
Last year, he also broke with most of his Democratic colleagues by supporting Republican-sponsored legislation to reopen the federal government, despite opposition from Democrats seeking additional concessions over healthcare spending and Affordable Care Act subsidies.
His positions have attracted praise from Republicans, including Trump, who has previously said he would like to see Fetterman join the GOP.
However, Fetterman has pushed back against suggestions that he is preparing to leave the Democratic Party. In a May opinion piece for The Washington Post, he described himself as a "terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats."
His latest comments suggest that his support for Israel remains a significant dividing line between him and sections of his party.
Fetterman's political future has also attracted attention in prediction markets, with traders giving him a significant chance of becoming the Republican Senate nominee in Pennsylvania in 2028.
According to Kalshi, Fetterman had a 23 percent implied chance of securing the GOP nomination as of 1 p.m. ET on November 14, placing him second among potential contenders, narrowly behind Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick at 32 percent.
Representative Dan Meuser was given a 16 percent chance, while Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday had 6.5 percent.
A separate Kalshi market gave Fetterman just a 3 percent chance of becoming the Democratic Senate nominee in Pennsylvania in 2028.
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Hannah Parry and Anthony Murray.
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