Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) has once more called on his fellow Democrats to denounce violence in light of ongoing protests in Los Angeles.
“When people burn cars, damage property, and confront law enforcement, that’s not free speech or protesting,” he told Joe Khalil from NewsNation at the Capitol. “It’s illegal activity, and we can’t turn a blind eye to it.”
“It is our responsibility as a party to speak out against it,” he emphasized.
Fetterman expressed on X that the escalating protests in California have descended into “anarchy and true chaos.”
“My party loses its moral standing when it fails to condemn acts like setting cars on fire, damaging buildings, and assaulting law enforcement,” he remarked. “This misrepresents our values of free speech, peaceful protest, and immigration—it’s really not what we stand for.”
California’s Democratic leaders, including Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, have insisted that protesters should act peacefully while denouncing the violence and destruction witnessed in recent days.
Fetterman clarified to Khalil that his comments weren’t directed specifically at the responses on social media.
“What I’m discussing goes beyond just the recent events; it’s about the broader perception of free speech and protest for most people,” he explained.
In response to the protests, President Trump dispatched thousands of National Guard members and Marines to safeguard federal buildings and personnel.
Fetterman and Trump have been linked since Fetterman won his Senate seat in Pennsylvania in 2022, defeating Trump ally Mehmet Oz.
On Tuesday, it was reported that Pennsylvania lawmakers met with former Trump strategist Steve Bannon at a Trump-friendly restaurant near Capitol Hill the previous evening.
Additionally, some Democrats have pointed out Fetterman’s erratic behavior since he publicly pursued mental health treatment in 2023.
