Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said Thursday that he has accepted President-elect Donald Trump’s invitation to join him at his Florida estate in the coming days.
“President Trump invited me to meet, and I accepted. I’m the Senator for all Pennsylvanians — not just Democrats in Pennsylvania,” Fetterman said in a statement on Thursday.
“I’ve been clear that no one is my gatekeeper. I will meet with and have a conversation with anyone if it helps me deliver for Pennsylvania and the nation,” the senator added.
The meeting appears to be the first known time a sitting Democratic lawmaker will join Trump at his Palm Beach residence, Mar-a-Lago, since last year’s presidential election. It was first reported by CBS News.
Fetterman is a progressive Democrat with a penchant for making off-color remarks and for dressing in his trademark hoodie and shorts. Over the past year, he has won admiration from some conservatives for his unwavering support of Israel and his openness to supporting some of Trump’s Cabinet nominees.
“It’s not helpful to freak out,” Fetterman said Wednesday on Fox News when asked about his party’s approach to Trump. “He hasn’t even taken office … and we really need to pace ourselves if we’re going to freak out over every last tweet or press conference.”
“We are here to work together, some things you can agree or disagree on,” he added.
Fetterman isn’t facing reelection until 2028, making his embrace of Trump and the “Make America Great Again” movement all the more notable. However, the political winds are quickly shifting in Pennsylvania, a key swing state. Trump carried it in November’s presidential election, while Republicans successfully ousted the state’s longtime incumbent Senate Democrat, Bob Casey.
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Dave McCormick, the man who defeated Casey, also dined with Fetterman this week, a meeting Fetterman made sure to highlight in a post online: