OPINION:
Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who unapologetically rocks hoodies and shorts in Congress, decided to shake things up on Monday during an appearance on “The View,” the daytime drama that puts the mess in a hot mess.
Instead of joining the screech choir in their usual anti-Trump symphony, Mr. Fetterman — the only current lawmaker who understands the Cartesian theory of “I think, therefore I am” — decided to just go there.
“He’s been doing essentially what he actually campaigned on,” the Democrat said of President Trump. “There’s things I’m going to agree with and things I’m going to disagree with. But I’m in the business of finding wins for Pennsylvania and for the nation and engaging the president.”
Hang on. Mr. Trump is doing exactly what he promised the American people he would do if elected. That’s crazy. The “ladies” of “The View” (and we use that term loosely), particularly Sunny Hostin, were left gobsmacked — and honestly, who could blame them? Reason and nuance are about as common on the show as bipartisan agreement is on Capitol Hill. But here was Mr. Fetterman, no stranger to political chaos, dropping truth bombs about the system like he was teaching civics 101.
“When the judicial system gets weaponized and targets political enemies for political gain, that degrades our collective trust in this very important institution,” a cool Mr. Fetterman said. Ms. Hostin nearly short-circuited in disbelief. Who could blame her? Intellect isn’t usually on the menu for this show, and none of the hosts knows who Rene Descartes was.
But Uncle Hoodie wasn’t done. He doubled down, calling the Trump trial in New York “politically motivated” and implying it wouldn’t have been prosecuted if the defendant’s last name wasn’t Trump. Calling the whole circus “unjust,” he said, “the trial in this city, in New York, was politically motivated. That wouldn’t otherwise have been prosecuted if it was someone else.”
Ms. Hostin, a lawyer who worked for CNN for years as a legal analyst, snarked, “Did you mean that the 34-count case in which Donald Trump was found guilty of various financial crimes was politically motivated here in New York?”
Mr. Fetterman slapped her down. “The judicial system [cannot be] weaponized [and target] political enemies for political gain,” he said. “Whether that’s a Democrat going after a Republican or a Republican going after a Democrat … I like to think I call it strikes and balls because the judicial system has to remain impartial. That’s really the cornerstone of our society.”
Wait, hold on, that seems like — common sense?!
Not one to avoid controversy, Mr. Fetterman later addressed the rumors about a party switch. No, he isn’t defecting to the Republican clubhouse. “I would make a pretty terrible Republican,” he joked. “Pro-choice, pro-strong immigration, pro-LGBTQ … I don’t think I’d be a good fit.”
Well, that’s the way America is going. Do Republicans really think the anti-abortion, anti-(legal) immigration and anti-gay stances can play in the 21st century? If they do, they’re sorely out of touch with today’s America.
You’ve got to respect Mr. Fetterman for leaning into the chaos but refusing to abandon his brand. And honestly, it’s hard to picture Mr. Fetterman in khakis and a blue button-down, shaking hands at a country club fundraiser.
Still, his recent moves have raised eyebrows on both sides of the aisle. He took a little jaunt to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago and has even been chatting up Republican colleagues. That does not make him the new patron saint of bipartisanship — don’t get your hopes up, centrists — but it makes him one of the most perplexing figures in modern politics. In a world where politicians fall neatly into “Team Red” or “Team Blue,” Mr. Fetterman is going rogue with shades of purple.
And while Mr. Fetterman might not be switching parties anytime soon, his ability to keep everyone guessing is admittedly entertaining. Whether he’s roasting the women of “The View” into silence or playing 4D chess next to Mr. Trump in Florida, he isn’t following anyone’s script.
Love him or hate him, you’ve got to admit he’s making politics a lot more interesting. Meanwhile, the ladies of “The View” will likely need a week’s worth of chamomile tea to recover. Cheers to Mr. Fetterman, the wild card that Capitol Hill simply didn’t see coming.
• Joseph Curl covered the White House and politics for a decade for The Washington Times. He can be reached at josephcurl@gmail.com and on Twitter @josephcurl.
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