Fetterman’s meeting with Trump should be encouraged

U.S. SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN is seldom shy about making his feelings known. Whether he is walking the halls of the Russell Senate Office Building in his signature hoodieand- shorts ensemble or dropping a zinger on social media, Fetterman is unapologetically himself. In a Washington full of blue-suited, red-tied carbon copies who don’t say a word publicly that hasn’t been focus-grouped and workshopped, Fetterman is unique. In the past year or so, that’s been even more clear as the man who was a very progressive mayor of Braddock and lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania has found himself spending more time in the middle — if not a tad to the right — of major issues. It started with defense of Israel in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks in October 2023. That was followed by immigration and the southern border as he criticized Republicans and Democrats alike for making the issue a litmus test for party loyalty. Then in May, Fetterman — the guy who was an integral part of an epic June 2019 etiquette low point in the state Senate with a partisan screaming match — took to X.com and criticized the U.S. House of Representatives by comparing it unfavorably to “The Jerry Springer Show.” That merited him a scathing retort from U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes, D-N.Y. Since the November election, the senator has been, if not always outright supportive of some of President-elect Donald Trump’s plans or nominations, at least open to discussion. Now Fetterman is upending expectations again as he accepts an invitation to visit Trump at his Mara-Lago resort.