Fetterman Slams Fellow Democrats Over Kimmel Obsession, Warns Against ‘Reckless’ Shutdown
Sen. John Fetterman is once again breaking ranks with his party — this time urging Democrats to stop “flipping out” over Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension and focus instead on preventing a government shutdown that could wreak havoc across the country.
Speaking to the Daily Caller News Foundation, the Pennsylvania Democrat said his colleagues are inflating minor controversies while ignoring what he called “serious chaos” looming if the federal government runs out of funding by the September 31 deadline.
“Everything is turning into like a national freak out,” Fetterman said when asked about ABC’s decision to pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live” off the air following the host’s inflammatory comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassination. “If a late-night host got put on hiatus, if that’s a national freak out, then if we shut our government down, that’s a serious national freak out kind of a thing.”
Fetterman called a shutdown “wrong” and “reckless,” directly criticizing his fellow Democrats for pushing high-stakes confrontations over federal funding while preaching about the supposed threat of authoritarianism under President Donald Trump.
His remarks come as Democrats in both chambers lash out at FCC Chairman Brendan Carr — a Trump appointee — over the Kimmel suspension, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calling it “an assault on everything this country has stood for.”
But Fetterman is tired of what he calls performative outrage.
“I’m just tired of squaring up on everything,” he said. “People need to just chill a little about a lot of things.”
Fetterman Bucks Shutdown Threat
Fetterman made clear he will not support his party’s push for a shutdown, even if that means voting for a Republican short-term spending bill — also known as a continuing resolution (CR).
“After [Charlie] Kirk and a lot of the other things, I don’t think we need more chaos,” he said. “America would be a serious loser if we shut our government down.”
Democrats rolled out their own CR this week packed with progressive priorities, including a permanent extension of Obamacare subsidies and more than $1 trillion in new spending through November. GOP leaders immediately labeled the proposal “dead on arrival.”
But Fetterman dismissed the idea that Democrats should use the threat of a shutdown to posture against Trump.
“If you really believe we’re moving toward autocracy, why would you then now shut our government down and hand them the entire keys to control it?” he asked. “That’s reckless and dangerous. And I will refuse to ever vote for that.”
Fetterman’s position puts him at odds with Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, who claimed Thursday that Democrats “do not have an obligation to fund the destruction of our democracy.”
Dem Civil War Brewing
Fetterman’s open defiance has already sparked tension with the left flank of his party, many of whom are demanding an aggressive stance against Trump’s budget proposals — regardless of the fallout.
Schumer himself is walking a tightrope. After voting to pass a GOP spending bill in March to avoid a similar crisis, the New York Democrat now insists the situation has changed.
“Democrats are unified,” Schumer said Tuesday, despite clear signs that the party is anything but.
Meanwhile, Fetterman remains focused on preventing what he believes would be a disaster for working Americans.
“I think it’s crazy not to extend those ACA tax credits,” he said. “But if we get a clean CR, I don’t know where the math will be, but I know where my vote will be.”