President-elect Donald Trump met with Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, Pa., at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend of Jan. 11. In an interview with the Washington Examiner after the meeting, Trump called Fetterman a “fascinating” person, and said he was impressed with the Pennsylvania senator.
“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 told the Washington Examiner. “He’s a commonsense person. He’s not liberal or conservative. He’s just a commonsense person, which is beautiful.”
Trump met with Fetterman and his wife for an hour, discussing a range of topics, including U.S. Steel, support for Israel in the Israel-Hamas conflict, border security and the “geopolitical benefits” of Trump’s attempts to acquire Greenland.
Before flying to Florida for the meeting, Fetterman joked to reporters that he accepted Trump’s invitation so he could become the “Pope of Greenland.”
Later, Fetterman said in a statement, “President Trump invited me to meet, and I accepted. I’m the senator for all Pennsylvanians — not just Democrats in Pennsylvania. I’ve been clear that no one is my gatekeeper. I will meet with and have a conversation with anyone if it helps me deliver for Pennsylvania and the nation.”
Trump said his initial impression of Fetterman was that he was “very liberal,” but that changed after Fetterman publicly showed unwavering commitment to supporting Israel.
Since then, Fetterman has broken from fellow Democrats on issues like immigration, and has voiced support for some of Trump’s cabinet picks. He also became the first Senate Democrat to join Trump’s Truth Social platform after Trump won the election.
Most recently, Fetterman cosponsored the “Laken Riley Act” with Republican Sen. Katie Britt, Ala., urging his Democratic colleagues to pass the bill when it is considered for a possible vote this week.
