Sen. Fetterman Critiques Party’s Rhetoric on Trump

Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) recently took issue with some of his fellow Democrats for referring to President Donald Trump as “Hitler” in the wake of the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

During a conversation with CNN’s Manuraju on Wednesday, following confirmation of Kirk’s death at a Utah Valley University event, Fetterman expressed his concerns. He pointed out that just a day earlier, people were protesting Trump by making extreme comparisons. His stance? The party needs to, perhaps, “lower the temperature.”

Fetterman noted that he doesn’t believe anyone should be compared to Hitler. He remarked, “Just look at what happened to Charlie Kirk. We know he was shot. We must be cautious in comparing individuals to figures from history like this. Trump is not a dictator; he’s a product of a democratic election.”

When asked by Raju if Trump was undermining democratic norms, Fetterman responded, “He says he’s definitely not, but that’s what America chose. I may not agree with many of his policies, yet that doesn’t make him a dictator.”

Although Fetterman has been critical of certain aspects of the Democratic Party, he indicated that he wouldn’t abandon the label of a Democrat, despite acknowledging that the party has “lost the debate” on several fronts.

He explained the need for reflection, particularly on why Democrats lost in two out of the last three elections: “We’ve really lost touch with American voters. Saying things like ‘Trump is always wrong’ isn’t constructive.” He continued, expressing that representing a state such as Pennsylvania keeps him grounded, reminding him that many people have differing opinions.

The assassination of Kirk has ignited discussions across the country regarding the heated nature of political discourse. Reports indicated that a bullet casing found at the scene had an anti-fascist inscription, drawing attention to the ongoing debate about the potential consequences of inflammatory rhetoric.

Since an assassination attempt in July 2024, Republicans have accused the media and some Democratic figures of inciting violence by making Nazi comparisons.

However, Representative Jasmine Crockett from Texas defended her choice to label Trump as “aspiring Hitler” following Kirk’s death. She cited the rhetoric at public gatherings that could incite violence, stating, “When you literally say to people, ‘Yeah, beat them,’ that promotes a culture of violence.”