Fetterman calls ‘abandon Biden’ campaign dumb, says it helps Trump

Sen. John Fetterman said progressives saying they will abandon President Joe Biden over his response to the Israel-Hamas war is ‘the dumbest shit’ he’s ever heard.

“That whole abandoned Biden thing — that's the dumbest shit I've ever heard,” the Pennsylvania Democrat said Sunday morning in an interview with Shannon Bream on "Fox News Sunday." “I mean, if you are more inclined to vote for a Democrat or be a Democrat, if you're willing to walk away from Joe Biden — you're by defecting helping Trump.”

The movement highlights one of the many other lingering issues over which Biden’s reelection was in jeopardy even before a disastrous debate performance. Biden’s support from young people and progressives helped carry him to the presidency in 2020. But as the war in Gaza has claimed the lives of over 30,000 Palestinians, many progressives have said they are abandoning Biden in 2024 — and that was before Thursday night’s debate.

Fetterman, who has taken many progressive stances on other issues, has been a strong Israel supporter since the attack on Oct. 7. He’s received backlash from progressives and within his party for his strong commitment for Israel to continue the war until the hostages are home. Fetterman just got back from visiting Israel where he said “it was an honor” to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Alongside many other Democrats on Sunday morning, Fetterman defended Biden as the Democratic nominee after his debate performance Thursday. The Pennsylvania senator had his own issues of debate performance during his 2022 Senate campaign: Fetterman faced off against Republican candidate Mehmet Oz after suffering a stroke.

“We had a difficult debate, and yet we still managed to go on to win. Now, everybody was calling that — that was the end of my career, that was the end of this race and everyone was predicting that I was going to lose actually by 2 points or more. And I smoked Oz by 5 points,” Fetterman said. “And that's what I’m saying. It — it's like one debate is not a career.”

He also emphasized the contrast between Biden and former President Donald Trump in their presidencies.

“This is a very stark choice. What kind of president do you want for the next four years?” Fetterman said. “Donald Trump who is obsessed with revenge and has been very clear he is here to be retribution. I don't believe that the president office should ever be weaponized against the people in this America that disagree with you."