President Donald Trump said Saturday that he would welcome Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania into the Republican Party, while praising the Democrat as “great” and “a very solid person.”
Asked by a reporter whether he had discussed a party switch with Fetterman, Trump said he would “love” to see it. He also argued that Fetterman could have difficulty securing the Democratic nomination and said polls showed him doing better as a Republican. The source provides no polling details to support that claim.
Fetterman has broken with fellow Democrats on some issues, including Iran and immigration, according to the source. It reports that he still votes with Democrats most of the time, though his alignment has declined during the current congressional session. The story cites figures of nearly 90% since he entered the Senate in 2023 and just under 81% in the current session.
Those disagreements, along with reported appearances and fundraising activity involving Republicans, have fueled speculation about a possible switch. The source also recounts that Fetterman introduced Republican Sen. Dave McCormick at a GOP midterm convention and mistakenly called himself a “lifelong Republican” at a separate event before correcting himself.
There is no confirmation in the source that Fetterman plans to leave the Democratic Party. Fox News said it had contacted his office for comment. The report was published Oct. 11, 2026, and describes Trump’s remarks from Saturday.
