Fetterman again at odds with Democrats over Iran attack

While many Democrats in Pennsylvania and across the U.S. are blasting President Donald Trump's decision to launch air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman yet again finds himself at odds with his party.

In fact, months ago Fetterman, one of the most vocal supporters of Israel on Capitol Hill, was already encouraging Trump to ditch the idea of negotiations with the Iranian regime, saying that he supported strikes targeting Iran's nuclear development.

"As I've long maintained, this was the correct move by (Trump)," Fetterman said of this past weekend's airstrikes, which followed a week of Israeli attacks on Tehran and the country's nuclear facilities. "Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I'm grateful for and salute the finest military in the world."

The senator's hawkish stance on Iran is in stark contrast with many Democrats and even some Republicans who believe Trump should have sought Congress' authorization and others who fear the strikes could lead to yet another drawn out war in the Middle East — something Trump has long promised to keep the U.S. out of.

It's hardly the first time Fetterman has stood apart from his party.

While he's criticized the Trump administration's position on taxes, spending and transgender issues, he's criticized Democrats almost as often in recent months, including over protests of Trump both in Washington and in Los Angeles.

He's worked alongside Republican Sen. Dave McCormick on a number of issues, including an immigration and crime bill. The Pennsylvania senators are again in agreement on Iran.

"As I have said all along, Iran must not have a nuclear weapon," McCormick said after the U.S. strike. "This targeted attack on Iran's nuclear facilities is the result of the Iranian regime's failure to make a deal despite months of President Trump's good faith efforts to negotiate. I applaud President Trump's strong leadership and his continued commitment to peace through strength."

After Israel launched airstrikes against Iran earlier this month, Fetterman applauded Israel's direct targeting of Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists. He called a nuclear-free and proxy-free Iran "the only and true path for enduring peace in the region."

While the Trump administration has emphasized the strike was targeted on nuclear facilities and is not about regime change, Fetterman said earlier this month that the U.S. should "join Israel in extinguishing Iran's nuclear ambitions and ignite a movement within Iran to free itself of that cancerous regime."

Meanwhile, Fetterman's Democratic counterparts in the House, Reps. Chris Deluzio and Summer Lee, have joined a bipartisan push for a resolution reasserting that Congress — not the White House — has the power to declare war. They joined several Democrats denouncing the attack and saying Congress should have been given more notice.

"Neither the president nor (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu gets to bypass Congress and declare war for the United States," Lee, D-Swissvale, said on X over the weekend. "Trump was supposed to explain to the American people why this illegal attack was in our interests, not a foreign nation's. Shame on every politician that supports this executive overreach."

Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, posted simply on X that "Congress did not authorize this war."

"Donald Trump's decision to launch direct military action against Iran without congressional approval is a clear violation of the Constitution, which grants the power to declare war explicitly to Congress," said Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, in a statement. "It is impossible to know at this stage whether this operation accomplished its objectives. We also don't know if this will lead to further escalation in the region and attacks against our forces, events that could easily pull us even deeper into a war in the Middle East."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., went so far as to say the "impulsive" strike on Iran was "clearly grounds for impeachment."

Fetterman's frequent critiques of Democrats, his hardline pro-Israel stance and his willingness to work with Republicans and the Trump administration, have prompted protests and criticism from progressive Pennsylvania voters who helped send the former Braddock mayor to Washington.

As his independent streak earns him conservative supporters, he has even faced ongoing questions about whether he would switch parties. He maintains he will not, particularly given his strong support for LGBTQ Americans.

Former Democratic Rep. Conor Lamb criticized Rep. Scott Perry, R-York, and other lawmakers for "(cheerleading) a corrupt and dishonest president with no proof of any supporting intelligence, when their constituents are tired of paying for war," in a post on X Sunday.

Lamb, who held a town hall in Cumberland County on Sunday, has also called out Fetterman in recent weeks.

"He's gone a long way on vibes," Lamb said on X of the senator dismissing an Iran-related war powers resolution. "Finally meets an issue that requires the input of serious people and he talks about bombing and killing like it's a video game. I would say it's embarrassing but if you think about the human lives involved it's far worse than that."

Trump on Monday attacked Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who did not support U.S. engagement in Iran. Trump called on voters and Republicans to "get this 'bum' out of office (as soon as possible)," a day after saying he'd be campaigning hard in Kentucky to help oust the congressman.

Massie is a conservative who along with Democrats has pressed for a new war powers resolution. Massie also has not supported Trump's so-called "big beautiful" tax and spending bill because it increases the national deficit.

Lew Irwin, who teaches politics and government at Duquesne University, recently told the Post-Gazette that, "both sides, multiple presidents and congresses, have kind of tiptoed around this war powers resolution, but neither one of them has wanted it to be adjudicated by the Supreme Court."

Without commenting on the merits of U.S. involvement in Iran, Irwin noted "no foreign wars" amounted to a "core MAGA promise."

"So there will be blowback inside that movement, but to this point at least ... I'll be shocked if it manifests itself into any kind of movement against Trump" among Republicans in Congress, he said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a Sunday morning news conference that the bombing mission "was not and has not been about regime change."

But Trump on Sunday said on Truth Social that if the current regime cannot "make Iran great again, why wouldn't there be a regime change?"

Vince Galko, a Republican strategist based in Northeastern Pennsylvania, told the Post-Gazette that, "most people would not fault Trump for going in with bunker-buster bombs" against Iran's nuclear facilities after "Israel did the world a huge favor by stepping up."

"Most people have common sense and can tell the difference between preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon ... and 100,000 troops in Iran," Galko said.

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