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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., told Fox News on Saturday that he no longer sees “any more common ground” with the far-left wing of his party over its stance on Israel.
During an appearance on “Saturday in America,” Fetterman criticized efforts to replace Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and called his new 2028 Democratic primary challenger “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.
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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to reporters as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol for a vote on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“Now I think if someone can’t identify [that] Iran is an enemy, and that it’s committed to destroying Israel and our nation as well, too — once again, this is the kind of individual that the Democratic Party elected,” he added.
Following midterm elections that saw Democrats regain control of both the House and Senate, Schumer is facing a challenge to his leadership. Van Hollen announced his bid to replace Schumer on Thursday, with support from progressive lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, D-Mich.
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Fetterman said a Van Hollen victory would be troubling.
“It would be troubling if my caucus elects someone like Van Hollen, that has really made his name being very… hostile to Israel,” Fetterman said when asked if a Van Hollen win would cross a “red line.”
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., departs the U.S. Capitol following the passage of a reconciliation package on June 5, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Fetterman said Van Hollen has made his name on strong “anti-Israel” views and also received attention after his 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, but 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,” Fetterman said.
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“We have to find a way forward. After our massive wins, we immediately go back to fighting amongst ourselves. Can’t we just, you know, take the win?” he added.
Fetterman also called for bipartisan cooperation on the national debt, artificial intelligence, Iran and Social Security, expressing hope that Democrats could work with the White House.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., speaks during the What’s Next conference on Nov. 13, 2026, in Denver, Colo. The event brought together Democrats to discuss the party’s priorities and direction ahead of the 2028 elections. (Chet Strange/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“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 criticized Gaza-born Palestinian-American writer and activist Ahmed Moor, who announced a 2028 Democratic primary challenge against him earlier in the week.
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“This is someone that 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 the Democratic Party, it’s very unlikely they’re [going to] hold the Iranian regime accountable. I think we deserve to have that conversation,” he added.
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In a statement to Fox News Digital, Moor’s campaign pushed back on Fetterman’s remarks, saying the candidate “condemns violence against civilians by anyone” and accusing the Pennsylvania senator of failing to represent his constituents.
“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, who Fetterman has failed to accurately represent in Congress,” the campaign said.
The campaign added that Moor supports “an arms embargo and targeted sanctions until Palestinians have equal rights,” saying he would “fight antisemitism and anti-Palestinian racism with the same conviction.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to Van Hollen for comment.