Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman defended his meeting with President Donald Trump during an appearance on “The View” on Monday, saying that working with the president is part of his job.
Fetterman was asked by the hosts of “The View” about his highly publicized visit to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump ahead of the inauguration, which drew sharp backlash from members of his own party.
The Democratic senator, who expressed a willingness to reach across the aislehe praised Trump as “kind” and “warm”.
“I think it was a positive experience overall. I mean, he was – he was kind. He was warm. It wasn’t in – any kind of theater, it wasn’t trying to get your picture taken to put something on social media, it was actually was just a conversation,” Fetterman recalled.
‘SENATOR FOR EVERYONE’: FETTERMAN SET FOR MEETING WITH TRUMP IN MAR-A-LAGO
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., told “The View” why he agreed to meet with President Trump. (Getty Images)
Fetterman said he and his wife, Gisele, spoke with Trump for more than an hour, trying to find common ground on the protection of “Dreamers“and food stamp benefits, among other topics.
“Overall, it was just an honest conversation,” Fetterman said.
Trump also praised the meeting afterwards, speaking to The Washington Examiner he was impressed with Fetterman, whom he called “a common-sense person.”
Fetterman told “The View” he was not interested in “going crazy” over Trump but he was “in the business of finding victories” for his state and nation.
“I’m not that guy. I’m not going to be that kind of Democrat. As far as I’m concerned, you know, there are things I’m going to agree with, 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 — I see that as doing his job,” he said.
FETTERMAN DROPPED TRUMP IN AN INTERVIEW WITH CNN, ADMITTED THAT 45 HAS A ‘CONNECTION’ WITH VOTERS SO
Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) speaks to reporters as he goes to vote on the Laken Riley Act at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 9, 2025. (ALLISON ROBBERT/AFP via Getty Images)
Co-host Ana Navarro mentioned the criticism Fetterman has received from the left, arguing that the lawmaker is helping to reinforce the false notion that Trump is open to working with Democrats.
“I understand the need for bipartisanship. I didn’t like the idea of you going to Mar-a-Lago,” she admitted — calling it Trump’s “palace” — before asking the lawmaker if he thought the meeting was a success.
“I think it’s a pretty reasonable conversation to have,” Fetterman addressed his critics.
He explained that Trump invited him to the meeting, and he took advantage of the opportunity because he believes that working with the president is part of the job of every elected official.
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Senator John Fetterman and Representative Elise Stefanik. (@EliseStefanik on X)
Speaking to the audience of “The View,” Fetterman said, “I hope, maybe you [who] you’re watching, you’re tired of just the venom and the hate, and like I’d like more bipartisan stuff.”
Fetterman said he was picking his battles and didn’t think adding “cheap internet hate” would be helpful.
“[A]And if such things were useful, you know, we would be in a different situation. We would be the ones making those decisions with the new administration with then-Vice President Harris,” he continued.
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Fetterman also gave his first impression of Trump first week in the office.
“Honestly, nothing surprised me now. I mean, he basically did what he actually campaigned for,” he told “The View.”
“He’s announced that he’s going to pardon individuals on January 6th. He’s absolutely going to go after the border. So there’s a lot of things that he’s already run on. I criticize a lot of it and I don’t agree with all of it, but it’s undeniable that he actually ran into it and that he was honest. He’s like, ‘I’m your revenge,’ and, you know, he kind of makes those moves,” Fetterman said.
