Sen. John Fetterman slams Democrats’ ‘f— Trump’ messaging on Bill Maher

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman broke with fellow Democrats again Friday, criticizing what he called the party’s overreliance on anti-Trump messaging and urging a shift toward a more constructive approach.

“My colleagues, and people that are running, whether for the Senate or the House, they’re literally running on f— Trump,” Fetterman said on the latest episode of “Real Time with Bill Maher”

“They have campaign commercials [with that message]. It’s absurd…” he added.

“I refuse to engage in those extreme terms, and we have to find a better way forward, and now I’ve been punished [for] find[ing] value in certain views.”

FETTERMAN SAYS DEMOCRATS LACK LEADER, CLAIMS PARTY DRIVEN BY ‘TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to the media on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., during a briefing for senators on the situation in Venezuela on Jan. 7. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

Fetterman, who has increasingly positioned himself as an independent-minded voice within the party, framed his comments as a larger critique of partisan strategies as the country eyes the high-stakes midterm election cycle.

FETTERMAN UNDER FIRE AS GOV SHAPIRO PUSHES WILD CARD SENATOR TO ‘GET BACK’ TO BEING A DEMOCRAT

President Donald Trump holds a rendering of the planned $400 million White House Ballroom extension during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg)

Fetterman did not defend Trump directly, but suggested that defining campaigns primarily in opposition to him risks dismissing valid ideas simply because they belong to Trump’s side.

“Like the ballroom… I don’t care about the ballroom,” he said, referring to the proposed White House space that the left has vehemently resisted.

FETTERMAN BREAKS WITH DEMOCRATS AFTER SHOOTING SCARE, BACKS TRUMP ON MAJOR WHITE HOUSE PROJECT

Bill Maher attends the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Mark Guiducci at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Mar. 15, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Lionel Hahn/Getty Images)

“I don’t either… it’s so stupid,” Maher chimed in.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Maher added, “We saw a couple of weeks ago with the assassination attempt [at the WHCA Dinner], America probably does need [a ballroom].”

Fetterman also rejected the idea of switching parties, framing his comments as a personal criticism rather than a political realignment.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“If I ever decide to change, and I won’t, have me on, and I’ll announce that,” he said, laughing.

“But I’m a committed Democrat… I vote 93% of the time [with the Democrats]. I thought we were supposed to be a ‘big tent’ party, so I’m not sure how I became an issue for any of the Democrats, just by having some different views.”