Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman (D.) is up-front about former president Donald Trump’s appeal to large swaths of voters across his state, arguably the most important toss-up state of the presidential election.
Fetterman spoke candidly to the New York Times on a range of subjects, including the enthusiasm for Trump that he has observed during his trips around Pennsylvania.
“You’ve said that Trump has a special connection with the people of Pennsylvania,” the Times asked Fetterman.
“One hundred percent,” he replied.
“There’s a difference between not understanding, but also acknowledging that it exists. And anybody spends time driving around, and you can see the intensity. It’s astonishing.”
Fetterman recalled seeing a large display of Trump merchandise when he was at an event in Indiana County, a deep-red area in the western part of the state. The Trump items came in all shapes and sizes, reflecting the deeply held support for the former president.
“It’s the kind of thing that has taken on its own life. And it’s like something very special exists there. And that doesn’t mean that I admire it. It’s just — it’s real,” he added.
Fetterman noticed a similar dynamic with billionaire Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X, who is now holding town halls in Pennsylvania to mobilize Trump supporters. Musk endorsed Trump in July and has spent roughly $120 million supporting him and down-ballot Republicans this election cycle.
Comparing Musk to Marvel’s Tony Stark, otherwise known as Iron Man, Fetterman believes that Musk’s campaigning could have a noticeable impact on the election results.
“I mean, to a lot of people, that’s Tony Stark. That’s the world’s richest guy. And he’s obviously, and undeniably, a brilliant guy, and he’s saying, ‘Hey, that’s my guy for president.’ That’s going to really matter.”
Fetterman also discussed the increased support for Trump among union workers, a historically Democratic constituency crucial for winning Pennsylvania. Fetterman remembered an event eight years ago during which a union boss told him that many of his rank-and-file workers were voting for Trump instead of Hillary Clinton.
“I’ll never forget, I live directly across the street from the steel mill, and we were doing an event there for [Hillary] Clinton, and I asked the union president, Hey, where are we on Trump?”
“And he’s like, Yeah, probably half or 60 percent to two-thirds are voting for him.”
Then Fetterman recounted a truck driver’s honking by and cheering for Trump. Awkwardly, Fetterman explained to the Times what “truck nuts” are as he told the story of the pro-Trump truck driver.
“It’s balls hung on the hitch of a truck, and he honked, and he was like, ‘Go Trump!’ as he drove by, and it’s like, Hey, we’re in trouble and it’s undeniable,” Fetterman explained.
Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have both courted working-class Pennsylvania voters hoping to gain an edge in a state that will likely come down to a few thousand votes. Harris has attempted to run away from her role in overseeing a record level of illegal immigration under President Joe Biden’s watch. For the Trump campaign, immigration remains a strong issue because of his track record in pushing for greater immigration restrictions.
Additionally, both candidates have embraced protectionist economic policies with working-class voters in mind.
Once a darling of the progressive left, Fetterman, a populist Democrat, has alienated left-wing activists over his unapologetic pro-Israel stance and his statements calling for more restrictions on illegal immigration. For those positions, Fetterman has won praise and admiration from conservatives despite his left-wing stances on social issues and economic policy.
Two years from a nearly fatal stroke, Fetterman’s cognitive abilities during the New York Times interview appeared much improved since the end of his contentious 2022 Senate campaign against Republican opponent Mehmet Oz.