Democratic senator warns ‘extreme’ progressives risk alienating Americans

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A leading Democratic senator said “extreme voices” on the progressive wing of his party risked alienating regular Americans by “yelling and screaming and demanding new leadership”.

In an interview with the Financial Times, John Fetterman warned the Democratic party against lurching to the left as it struggles to win back voters and muster a coherent opposition to Donald Trump’s presidency.

“We’re two months into this administration and [progressives are] demanding a push into, and even embracing, some of the kinds of views and positions that made it even more difficult to win in 2024,” he said.

His comments follow calls to oust the Democratic top brass and carve out a radical new identity for the party as it looks for direction after losing control of the White House, Senate and House of Representatives.

But a knee-jerk response risked repeating the mistakes that cost the party last November, Fetterman said, when Joe Biden was replaced by Kamala Harris as its presidential candidate after his disastrous debate performance. 

“We had an extreme reaction to the debate and that pushed us into a direction,” Fetterman told the FT. “[Progressives] got what they wanted: they wanted a brand new, younger, fresher messenger, and a lady. And then of course, you know what happened.”

Fetterman — who represents the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania — is both a folk hero to some as a voice of moderation within the party and a hate figure to others because of his support for Israel and praise of Elon Musk.

He has called on Democrats to work across the aisle and criticised his own party for “unhinged petulance” in its dealings with Trump. He caused outrage among some party members in January when he visited the president at his Mar-a-Lago residence.

Fighting has erupted within the party over how to position itself during Trump’s second term. A handful of lawmakers have called for Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, to step down from his leadership role after he led 10 of the party’s senators in backing a Republican budget bill this month to avert a government shutdown. 

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were scathing of the decision as they toured the country this month holding rallies that drew thousands of angry Democratic voters.

But Fetterman, who voted for the bill, said allowing a shutdown would have been disastrous for the party, walking into a Republican “honey trap” and triggering outrage among voters.

Democrats, he said, needed to listen to voters in swing states such as Pennsylvania — where Trump won the biggest Republican margin since 1988 despite heavy campaigning by Harris — rather than let policy be dictated by lawmakers from staunchly liberal coastal enclaves.

“Some of the most extreme voices now are coming from the far-blue places that are removed from the real fight — and that’s down in the important states that decide who’s going to win the White House,” he said. 

Simply obstructing Republicans at every turn would be a “political loser” with average Americans, he added, impeding Democrats’ ability to defeat the Republicans in 2028.

“The last time we were yelling and screaming and demanding new leadership, how did it work out?” he asked, referring to Biden’s removal. “Maybe we should just realise where we are and try to figure out a way forward — rather than just reacting.”