Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said he was "baffled" Monday that his Senate colleagues weren't supporting President Donald Trump's decision to begin military strikes in Iran — and Democrats were furious at his comments.
The Pennsylvania Democrat's loyalty has increasingly been called into question as he has shown he was breaking with Democrats over the war in Iran, Politico reported.
"Every member in the U.S. Senate agrees we cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. I’m baffled why so many are unwilling to support the only action to achieve that. Empty sloganeering vs. commitment to global security — which is it?" Fetterman wrote on X.
Other Democrats and commentators had strong responses to Fetterman's statement.
“Well, John Fetterman knows better,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told CNN. “Article I of the Constitution explicitly provides Congress with the authority to declare war. Period, full stop.”
"A man who has never seen war and never will, cheering this on from a comfortable perch in Washington. Every Senator who fails to stop this war should lose their seat, starting with @SenSusanCollins and @SenFettermanPA," Democratic Senate candidate and veteran Graham Platner wrote on X.
"Any politician who votes to start another endless war in the Middle East should lose their seat in 2026," California state congressional candidate and co-founder of Justice Democrats Saikat Chakrabarti wrote on X.
"'The only action?' Bombing a school and slaughtering young children is 'the only action?' The President committing acts of war without Congressional approval and lying to the American people is 'the only action?' Deploying our loved ones into another forever war is 'the only action?' Resign," Charles Booker, Kentucky Senate candidate and former Kentucky state representative, wrote on X.
"You sure did fool us all," media and communications specialist Louw Breytenbach wrote on X.
"The only action? 1) Iran was not working on a nuclear weapon, as confirmed by US intelligence. 2) There was a nuclear agreement with Iran that was keeping its enrichment levels low. Trump left that agreement, and then Iran responded by increasing enrichment. Every sabotage and attack since has caused Iran to increase enrichment further. 3) Military strikes to stop the program worked so well that after 'obliterating' their nuclear program eight months ago, we are already concerned about it again. You are a warmonger. It is that simple," Navy veteran and independent writer Jared Ryan Sears wrote on X.