Democratic Senator John Fetterman has accepted an invitation from President-elect Donald Trump to visit him at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, the senator said in a statement to ABC News.
“President Trump invited me to meet, and I accepted. I am a senator for all Pennsylvanians, not just Pennsylvania Democrats,” Fetterman said in the statement. “I’ve made it clear that no one is my gatekeeper. I will meet with anyone to have conversations if they help me deliver to Pennsylvania and the nation.”
Fetterman, once billed as a progressive, has increasingly signaled a willingness to act more independently.
He was one of them first democrats In the Senate, he is willing to meet with Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice to head the Department of Defense, and to support other nominees for Trump’s Cabinet.
Sen. John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, answers a question from the media at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Dec. 19, 2024.
Shawn Thew//EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
He also broke away from the progressive wing of his party last year, becoming an outspoken defender of Israel, at one point traveling there to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
As Senate Majority Leader John Thune has made it clear that he will not support changes to Senate rules that require 60 votes to pass most legislation, Trump will need Democratic allies in the Senate.
This could mark an early effort by Trump to court Fetterman.
Last month, in an interview with ABC News’ “This Week” Jonathan Karl, Fetterman said he hopes Trump succeeds in his second term and is not “rooting against him.”
“If you’re rooting against the president, you’re rooting against the nation,” Fetterman said. “So country first. I know maybe it’s become like a cliché, but it’s true.”
Fetterman told Karl that his fellow Democrats should be “upset” with everything Trump does.
“I’ve warned people, like, ‘You gotta chill,’ you know? Like constant, you know, freakout, it’s not helpful,” Fetterman said. “Prepare the appetizer, take a step, because he hasn’t even taken office yet.”
It was Fetterman Elected to the Senate In 2022, beating Trump-endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz Trump has chosen Directing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
He suffered a stroke during the campaign and was treated for depression the following year.
