Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) stated that his vote on President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees would be based on “an open mind and an informed opinion.” In a post on X, Fetterman wrote that he believes it is “appropriate and the responsibility” of a U.S. senator to engage with Trump’s nominees. Fetterman added that he had met with House Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Trump’s pick for U.N. Ambassador, and Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense.
“I believe that it’s appropriate and the responsibility of a U.S. Senator to have a conversation with President-elect Trump’s nominees,” Fetterman wrote. “That’s why I met with Elise Stefanik and Pete Hegseth, just wrapped with Tulsi Gabbard, and look forward to my meetings with others soon.” He added: “My votes will come from an open-mind and an informed opinion after having a conversation with them. That’s not controversial, it’s my job.”
Fetterman had earlier endorsed Rep. Elise Stefanik, stating that he “looks forward” to voting “yes” for her nomination, emphasizing her pro-Israel stance. Several of Trump’s nominees, including former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (R-HI) and Pete Hegseth, have faced significant criticism from both the media and Democrats.
Hegseth has faced numerous smears launched against him, including claims that his “tattoos were linked to white supremacy” when his tattoos were actually “related to his Christian faith,” and not white supremacy. Another smear launched against Hegseth centered around “a report on 2017 allegations from a woman” that Hegseth “raped her.” Another attack on Hegseth emerged after The New York Times published “an angry email” from his mother, in which she accused him of “mistreating women.” Hegseth’s mother later apologized for the contents of the email.
This election cycle, President-elect Donald Trump made significant gains among white working-class men and achieved record-breaking support from Black and Hispanic male voters. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Fetterman highlighted the influence of Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and other prominent Silicon Valley figures who have aligned themselves with Trump. He pointed to their role as a key factor in Trump’s ability to secure crucial demographics that Democrats have abandoned and ultimately win the election.
“Musk was involved. He was described as moving to Pennsylvania. And sometimes that doesn’t really mean much, but he was an active surrogate — and I mean, his checkbook was helpful. That wasn’t really the defining facet for me,” Fetterman said. “I was concerned that he’s going to have a lot of sway with a part of the demographic that the Democrats have to win, and we’ve struggled with.”
When asked what demographic he was referring to, the Pennsylvania lawmaker stated that he was speaking in reference to male voters. “Whether it’s the ‘bros,’ that negative term that perhaps even your publication uses, as a negative — it’s the bros, or, you know, males, blue-collar guys, just people,” he said. “It’s very rare, in my opinion, that surrogates have ‘fanboys.’ Making fun of him or make light of it, you do that at your peril, because it is going to matter.”
Fetterman then expressed his views on how the Democratic Party can enhance its messaging. “Have a conversation. Have a conversation with anyone that’s willing to have an honest conversation. That’s always been the rule, and that’s what I’m going to continue,” the freshman senator continued. “I’ve had conversations on Fox News, and they’ve played me straight. I’ve shown up on Newsmax, and they’ve played it straight. And Rogan, Rogan was great. He was cordial and open and warm.”