Fetterman and fellow Pa. Senator McCormick debate in Boston

Boston Globe

5 days ago

Advertisement
The conversation began with a discussion of what was
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
McCormick compared the incident to demonstrations he had witnessed at the University of Pennsylvania, which he said 'weren't free speech, but were intimidation and in some cases physical violence.' (Though the only arrests at that
Fetterman noted that he is 'probably' the most outspoken supporter of Israel among Senate Democrats -- making him a target of scorn among some on the left --
and recalled first meeting McCormick at an
Advertisement
The senators also agreed that not enough humanitarian aid is reaching the innocent residents of Gaza, who have been declared in
'We can all agree on the tragedy in Gaza,' said Fetterman, who wore his signature Carhartt hoodie, shorts, and black tennis shoes while seated next to McCormick, who wore a suit. 'Nobody wants that, but who does want that? And that's on Hamas.'
The tone of the discussion was notably more cordial and cooperative than in any of the five previous 'The Senate Project' debates, all of which have featured senators from opposing parties. Past participants in the series have included Republican Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State, along with Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders, Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.
Even in their sharpest disagreement, over the Big Beautiful Bill, both Fetterman and McCormick emphasized that cuts to Medicaid or food assistance should not harm the vulnerable Americans who depend on those programs.
'There is waste and fraud in Medicaid, and that doesn't mean we cannot do things more efficient,' said Fetterman. 'Now we will vote differently on the Big Beautiful Bill, and that doesn't make him terrible to support it, nor does it make me terrible for being no on that thing.'
Looming in the background of the event was Fetterman's rising national profile. Beyond speculation about a possible presidential run in 2028, a
Advertisement
Also noted was Fetterman's political evolution—from a Bernie Sanders–aligned progressive to someone willing to visit Donald Trump at his home in Florida. The senators were asked about a weekend editorial in
'It's time for Fetterman to serve Pennsylvanians, or step away,' the editorial said.
Fetterman dismissed the editorial as a smear, calling it exaggerated and a reaction to his bipartisan stances.
'I just spent two days in Cambridge, one of the most liberal and progressive areas in the country and people came up to me with all kinds of positive reactions,' said Fetterman, a graduate of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
James Pindell is a Globe political reporter who reports and analyzes American politics, especially in New England.