Democratic Sen. Fetterman: 'I'm not rooting against' Trump

[Polybius]

Source: ABC News

Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. John Fetterman said he hopes President-elect Donald Trump is successful in his second term and that he's not "rooting against him."

"If you're rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation," Fetterman told ABC "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl. "So country first. I know that's become maybe like a cliche, but it happens to be true."

Fetterman, who has made headlines as one of the few in his party who have met with several of Trump's cabinet picks, said his Democratic colleagues need to "chill out" over everything Trump does.

"I've been warning people, like, 'You got to chill out,' you know? Like the constant, you know, freakout, it's not helpful," Fetterman said. "Pack a lunch, pace yourself, because he hasn't even taken office yet."

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/democratic-sen-fetterman-im-rooting-trump/story?id=117020586

---

Democrats need to chill out? WTF?

[Turbineguy]

1. In a way he's right

Trump doesn't need our help to fail. He can do that on his own. He's an idiot and a screw-up.

[Dennis Donovan]

2. Since I've known of him (3 years?) I always thought he was a fighter.

His present passivity is not what I expected. Frankly, I'm disappointed.

[NotHardly]

4. I think his stroke was more serious than we realized

[Irish_Dem]

7. Exactly. I have thought the same.

I didn't have a good feeling about it at the time.
But thought he made a good recovery.

My opinion is being revised in light of current puzzling nonsensical statements.

[Southern_gent]

58. Ableism Much? NT

[ificandream]

47. He's clearly keeping an open mind before the guy is sworn in. Which isn't necessarily bad.

The real proof will be his reactions to what Trump does once he's in.

[niyad]

50. What open mind? We were lucky to survive his first term, and he has gotten

orders of magnitude worse.

[MayReasonRule]

3. Patriots Support Representative Democracy. Fascists Support Fascists.

Time will tell.

It always does.

[IA8IT]

5. current line of succession..... I agree

[Fullduplexxx]

6. Loose a manchin gain a fetterman

[padah513]

14. He does give off that Manchin/Sinema vibe, but like others have said, time will tell.

[Think. Again.]

28. With this statement of his, I'd say 'time's up'.

[C0RI0LANUS]

21. Spot on.

[nowforever]

8. I don't want him to fail

But am 100% certain he will. And I can wait for that without rooting. I am rooting for atherosclerosis and all the benefits

[Think. Again.]

29. Knowing what trump's intentions are, yes, I want him to fail.

[ificandream]

48. I don't think he's rooting.

He's holding back. Which is fine. The real proof will be what happens when Trump gets in.

[Lulu KC]

9. Yeah, whatever

Yawn.

[House of Roberts]

10. Trump failing means the democracy endures.

I'm 'rooting' against the traitor that I know Trump is. We have to 'defeat the evil' as John McCain once said in a debate with Obama. That stood out in my mind all these years.

[LisaL]

11. I guess he goes by

"If you can't beat them, join them."

[Paladin]

12. So we noticed, Fetterman. You asshole. (nt)

[malthaussen]

19. The proper regional term is "Jagoff." n/t

[Paladin]

22. Thanks for the info.

As a Texan, let me invite you to insult Senator Ted Cruz. The proper regional term is "Arrogant Shit-For-Brains Douchebag."

[Fiendish Thingy]

13. Enjoy your single term in the senate.

I hope Shapiro primaries him in 2028- he would beat him easily.

[regnaD kciN]

44. Considering his state voted for Trump (again)...

…and turned Sen. Casey out, I suspect we may have to deal with Sen. Fettermanchin for a long, long time.

[Fiendish Thingy]

49. Not if Shapiro beats him in the primary

Then his career will be over.

[JohnSJ]

15. It isn't a question of rooting or not rooting for him, the problem is his actions before assuming the office

have demonstrated exactly where he is coming from, and to pretend his unqualified nominations, his unhinged threats against legislators and others is “normal”, and he should not be criticized is bullshit.

If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it’s a Fetterman, and it doesn’t take rocket science to understand this.

I never actually trusted him, and was for Lamb from the get go. Populists always sound good in the beginning, but there is a 50-50 chance they will come back and bite you. Sinema, formerly a Green Party member had a similar resumé, and both ended up with libertarian colors when their actual “populist” mask was removed.

[Hope22]

16. I feel sad that I don't understand him any more.

It’s not that I’m on a different page but a different book altogether.

[malthaussen]

17. Thanks for your input, Vidkun. n/t

[FakeNoose]

18. It sounds to me like Sen. Fetterman is putting "country" ahead of "party"

At least for now. We won't really know until we see how he votes in the next session.

On the other hand, Fetterman may be trolling Chump and the MAGAs so let's wait and see. Don't forget that Fetterman ran an exemplary Xwitter campaign trolling against the MAGAs while he ran for the Senate, and that was only 2 years ago.

[Think. Again.]

31. He wants to live in a country dominated by a "successful" fascist?

[SunSeeker]

20. I'm curious which of Trump's efforts it is that Fetterman wants Trump to succeed at...

The mass deportations?

Getting rid of IRS, FBI, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?

Stacking the courts with even more Republicans?

20% tariffs across the board?

Nepotism hires?

Enriching himself with taxpayer money?

Blocking any efforts to save us from climate change?

Putting us trillions of dollars in debt with tax cuts for the rich?

Privatizing the VA, post office, Medicare and Social Security?

Repealing the ACA?

[Cha]

53. I Know.. TY!

Not buying what he's selling.

[stopdiggin]

23. I think this is largely misinterpreted

Trying to make the best of a situation (which we will all have to do ultimately) - is not necessarily cowardice or selling out. Fetterman has never been (IMO) anything like a wordsmith or real eloquent in framing his thoughts. (and I've had some real doubts about where he's coming from on a few things in the past) But - truth is, the incoming congress is going to have dealings with the incoming administration ... Nobody on our side of the aisle is going to be speaking to anybody at State, or Homeland or Justice for the next 4 years? Just don't think that's the way it works. Nor should it.

Trump and the GOP deserve their just desserts and everything that makes its way downhill on them - but, at the same time, if that includes wishing ill on the American people in the same breath ...
It's you and not Fetterman that misses the mark.

[SunSeeker]

43. Fetterman says we need to chill out and "pace ourselves" because Trump hasn't taken office yet....

But Trump/Elon is already fucking with our country, fomenting shutdown, and if it weren't for Democrats acting like the adults in the room, we would be in government shutdown right now.

No elected Democrat is wishing "ill will on the American people."

So exactly what is the unwarranted Democratic "freakout" Fetterman is referring to?

[stopdiggin]

51. the freakouts are commonplace

as anyone reading this board can attest to. "They're going to take my SS check!" As far as party or elected officials, that incidence is probably somewhat less (as one would hope) - but then, there are a fair number (both sides of the aisle) that are just really enamored of their own voices.

Again - I find myself in the curious position here of (rather reluctantly) defending a guy that I've had some doubts about in the past. But I tend to think this might have been more a matter of poorly chosen words (which seems fairly typical of Fetterman) - than an kind of real broadside or attack on Democrats. And with the overall intent behind the words - something more rather more benign and actually rather common sense. Just my impression here. Feel free to disagree.

[SunSeeker]

52. Being worried that Repubs will kill Social Security is not "unwarranted." Why defend Trump?

And invoke "both sides" bullshit to insult Dems??

[stopdiggin]

54. We would disagree - on both points.

[SunSeeker]

57. You can "disagree" with a fact, but it is still a fact. The GOP has been trying to kill Social Security for years.

Republicans have blocked Democrats' efforts to lift the cap on the Social Security tax, thus slowly starving the Social Security trust fund and letting the rich get away with failing to pay their fair share of Social Security taxes. https://www.8newsnow.com/news/national-news/social-security-where-do-democrats-and-republicans-stand/

Republicans want to get rid of Social Security as we know it (a defined benefit life long pension) and turn it into little more than a 401k that gambles on the stock market and does not guarantee a monthly benefit payment for life. https://www.newsweek.com/social-security-warning-donald-trump-1931868

How can you defend that?

[MacKasey]

24. He is right, people don't understand the word fascist but they should know the word Nazi

45 has been using Hitler speeches as his cliff notes

It just shows how easily people can be manipulated, just like Germany in the 30s and 40s.

We need to pick our battles,
we need to walk softly and carry a big stick and another saying is keep your friends close but you keep your enemies closer so we know what the hell they're doing.

We need to be cool headed and smart and try to be one step ahead of them

I've been saying we need to do some Perot graphs and make everything easy to understand, make schoolhouse Rock videos for everything so you keep it short and simple so it's easy to understand.

[Think. Again.]

35. If fetterman was thinking that, fetterman should have said that.

[Linda ladeewolf]

25. Yes, we need to pick our battles.

Save our strength for those that matter. Like ACA, Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. food stamps.social safety nets. They need also to start campaigning from the get go for 2028 and throw enough monkey wrenches into the mix to slow down the orange dozer. They need to put up billboards beside every single infrastructure project resulting from Biden’s bill si trump doesn’t get the credit. These are also small acts of defiance.

[MacKasey]

30. Have a sticker with Biden face saying I did that, Just like they did with the stickers on gas pumps

[GiqueCee]

26. Oh, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny...

... think long and hard about what you say next. Support for Trump is NOT –[i]NOT – synonymous with support for the country, by any stretch of the imagination. I, for one, fully support the office of the presidency, but not the malevolent dipshit about to defile that august position. Trump is the antithesis of everything a president should be.
Get your head on straight, son.

[Think. Again.]

27. Just accept fascism and oligarchy?

Nah.

(Hey fetterman, your roots are showing.)

[RockRaven]

32. While I agree that people need to refrain from the full body freak out over every little thing

TCF says and does, often seen on cable news and clickbait grifter YouTube and social media posts, it does not follow that anyone ought to be rooting for TCF to "succeed" because TCF does not have goals which are aligned with either morality or the law. Rooting for TCF to succeed is to root for immoral acts and criminality.

Rooting against TCF is rooting for the nation: for general prosperity not only the already rich, for decency not depraved abuse, for lawfulness not scofflaws and bandits, for a non-dystopian future.

[uncledad]

33. Fetterman?

I agree with the part about not freaking out and the constant hand wringing before Stump is even inaugurated. But to say you want Stump to be successful is just plain ignorant. If he doesn't understand what successful looks like for Stump (political revenge, destroying the executive branch, end of environmental regulations, tax cuts for the top 1%, Russia running wild in Eastern Europe, and much worse) then he's got his head up his ass. If Trump is successful the country is fucked.

[sop]

34. "Trump said, without proof, that Fetterman is abusing hard drugs."

"Fetterman supports taxpayer-funded drug dens and the complete decriminalization of illegal drugs, including heroin, cocaine, crystal meth, and ultra lethal fentanyl," Trump said. "By the way, he takes them himself."

"Following the speech, Fetterman's campaign released a statement saying in part, 'more and more lies from Trump and Dr. Oz, another day, but it's the same crap from these two desperate and sad dudes.'

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/by-the-way-he-takes-them-himself-former-president-trump-accuses-fetterman-of-abusing-drugs/

Don't forget, Trump is rooting against you, Senator Fetterman.

[Bread and Circuses]

39. Well said

[regnaD kciN]

45. Maybe Trump was right in that particular case...

[global1]

36. Is Fetterman The New Manchin?......nt

[uncledad]

38. Manchin in a hoodie

[LudwigPastorius]

37. Fetterman needs to realize...

when Trump fails, our country wins. (...and vice versa)

[boonecreek]

40. OK Fetterman,

I promise I won't root against Trump.
But I'll hope against him for all I'm worth.

[NotHardly]

41. Fetterman must have fallen on his head again

[Cirsium]

42. L'tat, c'est moi

"If you're rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation." Fetterman

Trump = the country?

"When the president does it, that means it is not illegal." - Richard Nixon

An hour into the Senate trial of Donald John Trump on Wednesday, the emeritus Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz came to the floor to answer a question from a former Harvard law student, Senator Ted Cruz, of Texas. In theory, it was a question that went to the heart of the impeachment case against Trump, about the President’s imposition of a quid pro quo on military aid to Ukraine and whether his motivations mattered. Dershowitz had something larger and more profound to say, however: Donald Trump has the power to do just about anything he wants to do, and there’s nothing that the U.S. Senate can or should do about it.

For more than a week, House managers prosecuting the impeachment case against Trump have argued that the Senate’s failure to convict him would make Trump an unaccountable leader; in effect, a dictator or a king. When Dershowitz spoke, it was as if he completely agreed with them. Two days earlier, Dershowitz had told senators that Presidential “abuse of power” should not be considered an impeachable offense under the Constitution. On Wednesday, he took that further—much further. “If a President does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment,” he argued. Dershowitz was offering Trump—and all future Presidents—a free pass. His argument seemed unbelievable: as long as the President thinks his reëlection will benefit the country, he can do anything in pursuit of it without fear of impeachment. Really?

Trump has already said that he considers himself empowered by Article II of the Constitution “to do whatever I want.” Video of this extraordinary moment has been played, repeatedly, by House managers in the trial. They clearly saw it as a damning statement made by a power-grabbing President—and then the President’s counsel, in effect, endorsed Trump’s power grab on the floor of the Senate. So long as Trump believes himself to be acting in the national interest, Dershowitz said, he can do whatever he wants. If the past three years have taught us anything, it is that Trump is a President who is comfortable conflating his own interest with the national interest. L’état, c’est Trump.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/alan-dershowitz-for-the-defense-letat-cest-trump

The attitude of [iL’état, c’est moi], which Trump inherited from France’s Louis XIV, along with a passion for ostentatious gold furnishings, is one of the many assaults on democratic norms that we have grown accustomed to during the past twenty-four months. Trump has “called for the persecution of his political enemies and the protection of his allies,” David Leonhardt, of the Times, wrote in a recent piece calling for Trump’s impeachment. “He has attempted to obstruct justice. He has tried to shake the public’s confidence in one democratic institution after another, including the press, federal law enforcement and the federal judiciary.” Yoni Appelbaum, of The Atlantic, filled out the rap sheet: “He has failed to disclose or divest himself from his extensive financial interests, instead using the platform of the presidency to promote them. . . . He pledged to ban entry into the United States on the basis of religion, and did his best to follow through. . . . He has assailed black protestors. . . . He has falsely alleged that America’s electoral system is subject to massive fraud, impugning election results with which he disagrees as irredeemably tainted. . . . These actions are, in sum, an attack on the very foundations of America’s constitutional democracy.”

https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/at-halftime-of-the-trump-presidency-the-resistance-is-winning

[Pris]

46. Clearly Fetterman is not "for the nation"

Fetterman is wrong.

Trump incited insurrection against the Capitol
Trump vows to seek retribution against his "enemies" by using our justice department
Trump ran for office by saying this would be the last election people would have
Trump seeks approval by Vladimir Putin - a man who actually does rig elections and puts people in jail who criticize him


Senator Fetterman is so wrong he needs to be elected OUT of office.
He clearly can't be trusted.

[Meowmee]

55. I am... strongly

[republianmushroom]

59. And the DNC wants to know why I won't donate more money to them.