Sen. John Fetterman is catching hell from his own party for daring to say the obvious—that Donald Trump, whatever else you may think of him, is not Hitler and did not rule as an autocrat.
“If you actually compare him to an actual autocrat, it is not just that… This is not an autocrat. This is a product of a democratic election,” Fetterman said during an interview on CNN’s Inside Politics. Nothing radical about that. Trump was elected and reelected and exercised power within the bounds of a constitutional system. But in the current Democratic Party, reality isn’t negotiable. The narrative is, and the narrative demands, that Trump be cast as the second coming of 1930s Germany. Fetterman challenged the myth, and the mob immediately turned on him.
New — John Fetterman unplugged in wide-ranging interview on @InsidePolitics Sunday 8aET/11aET:
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 14, 2025
Pushes back on Ds on Trump: “If you actually compare him to an actual autocrat, it is not just that… This is not an autocrat. This is a product of a democratic election.”
More Sunday pic.twitter.com/8TFJTZ7CXG
Progressives went into meltdown over the comments. Social media was flooded with attacks, ranging from name-calling to lefties expressing regret for voting for him — the usual stuff. The rabid intensity of the backlash said it all: Fetterman is an idiot, they raged. He’s not one of us — he must be punished. Independent thought, even wrapped inside a liberal voting record, is now treated as betrayal.
ICYMI: Charlie Kirk's Assassin May Be Part of a Larger Left-Wing Terror Effort
Of course, this isn’t Fetterman’s first dust-up with the left. His support for Israel has put him at odds with the antisemitic base of the Democratic Party. That’s the reality of today’s Democratic Party: you can fall in line over 90% of the time, as Fetterman has, and still end up branded a problem if you refuse to parrot their most hysterical talking points.
Naturally, there are voices on X that are saying that Fetterman will have a primary challenger in 2028. This, of course, would be a stupid move. I don’t doubt that Fetterman is playing the long game here. While I’m sure he legitimately supports Israel, he also knows that this state is a purple state that is trending red, and he can’t win the state as a radical leftist who hates Israel and calls Trump “Hitler.” Remember, not only did Trump win in 2024, but longtime incumbent Democrat Sen. Bob Casey Jr. lost his reelection bid to Republican Dave McCormick.
Fetterman’s willingness to occasionally step outside the lockstep script probably resonates more with average voters than the left realizes, and gives the Democrats the best opportunity to appeal to moderate working class voters in a state that supported Trump in November. But within today’s Democratic Party, that kind of independence isn’t seen as strength—it’s treated as heresy.
It’s really sad to think that just saying Trump isn’t Hitler is enough to enrage Democrat voters. I think many of us held out hope that the political left would have gone through some introspection after the assassination attempt on President Trump last year in Butler, Pa., about their incendiary rhetoric, but they didn’t. The rhetoric continued and has become a litmus test.
John Fetterman dared to tell the truth and the Democrats turned on him—showing just how extreme they’ve become. PJ Media exposes the narratives the left wants hidden. Support fearless conservative journalism by joining PJ Media VIP. Use promo code FIGHT for 60% off. Stand with us, support America First.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member