Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) indicated Tuesday that Senate Republicans are open to receiving Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) into their caucus should the Pennsylvania lawmaker choose to part ways with the Democratic Party over internal disputes regarding support for Israel.
“Yes, we would welcome him," Thune said when asked whether Republicans would roll out the red carpet for Fetterman if he ever decides to leave the Democratic Party, as quoted by The Hill.
Thune revealed that he and other Republican colleagues have previously discussed caucus tensions with the outspoken Pennsylvania Democrat.
“I have had conversations with him in the past as have many of my colleagues about the challenges he faces in his caucus. And there are many of us who, I think, would welcome the opportunity to have him join the Republican conference but ultimately that’s a decision that’s up to him," Thune said.
Characterizing the current political trajectory of the opposition, Thune argued that the Democratic Party is “moving further and further, more radically, to the more extreme left on a lot of issues."
“I think people like John Fetterman who have views that probably reflect a more moderate or at least historically moderate Democrat position are really people without a home. If he ever comes to the conclusion that he’s ready to move, we would certainly welcome it," he said.
The Senate Majority Leader's remarks follow Fetterman's recent comments at the Hill Nation Summit, where he stated that an official party shift against Israel would trigger his exit.
“If our party ever becomes - and just makes it official - the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me," he said.
Fetterman voiced confusion over why elements within his party would distance themselves from Israel, characterizing the nation as a key long-standing ally and the most functional democracy in the Middle East.
“My long-term concern has been with the Democratic Party, as I am a member of that, is that our party is going to back away and turn their back to Israel," he said.
Fetterman has become known for his staunch pro-Israel stance. After Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Fetterman put up posters of the Israelis who were abducted by Hamas in his front office and left them up until every single person safely returned home.
When anti-Israel protesters showed up outside Fetterman's office, chanting accusations of genocide, he responded by waving an Israeli flag from the roof of the building.