President-elect Donald Trump is full of praise for Senator John Fetterman after sitting down with the Pennsylvania Democrat over the weekend at Mar-a-Lago.
“It was a totally fascinating meeting. He’s a fascinating man, and his wife is lovely. They were both up, and I couldn’t be more impressed,” Trump said in a Sunday interview with the Washington Examiner.
“He’s a commonsense person. He’s not liberal or conservative. He’s just a commonsense person, which is beautiful,” Trump added.
Fetterman joked to reporters about accepting Trump’s invitation to meet because he wanted to become “Pope of Greenland,” a reference to Trump’s interest in annexing the Danish territory.
Elected as an outspoken progressive in 2022, Fetterman has tacked to the center since recovering from a debilitating stroke suffered during his campaign.
Fetterman dismissed critics of his decision to sit down with the president, signaling a willingness to work with the incoming president.
“I think it’s pretty reasonable that if the president would like to have a conversation — or invite someone to have a conversation — to have it. And no one is my gatekeeper,” Fetterman told CBS News.
He and Trump discussed acquiring Greenland, using tariffs to promote U.S. Steel, supporting Israel, and securing the southern border. Nippon Steel’s attempt to purchase U.S. Steel for $15 billion fell apart when President Joe Biden blocked the deal earlier this month. Trump and Fetterman both opposed the deal for national security reasons and because of concerns about blue collar jobs.
Trump also celebrated the overwhelming, bipartisan Senate vote last week to advance the Laken Riley Act, a bill that would empower federal authorities to detail illegal immigrants arrested for theft until they are deported.
“It’s been amazing, and there’s been cooperation within the Republicans and a lot of the Democrats. I will say that Senator Fetterman was very impressive to me, really impressive,” Trump said.
Fetterman was the first sitting Democratic Senator to visit Trump at Mar-a-Lago since Trump’s resounding electoral victory in November. Trump won Pennsylvania and all the other swing states over Vice President Kamala Harris as Republicans recaptured the presidency and the Senate majority.
Trump’s perception of Fetterman changed when he unflinchingly supported Israel in the wake of Hamas’s mass civilian slaughter on October 7, 2023. Fetterman has infuriated progressives in his party by unapologetically backing Israel’s multi-front war in the Middle East and spotlighting the hostages who remain in Hamas’s captivity.
“He really was impressive, and I’m glad I got to speak to him. And he loves Pennsylvania, and he loves our country,” Trump said.
Senator Dave McCormick (R., Pa.), Fetterman’s new Keystone State colleague, upset three-term Democratic incumbent Bob Casey to flip a crucial Senate seat for the GOP. Before meeting Trump, Fetterman and McCormick met alongside their wives in what both described as a positive get-together.