John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Senator known for his pro-Israel stance, decided to skip the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to keep his party away from any disputes regarding the Israel-Hamas war.
Speaking during an interview with the Free Press, the Democratic leader stated that there is no link between his absence from the DNC and his views on Israel. He, however, gave a strange excuse, claiming that he is not in Chicago because he wants to spend these four days with his kids.
He claimed that the decision to skip the convention was made well in advance of the CNN debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Fetterman, who is not Jewish, strongly denounced the “cowardly, horrifying, unprovoked attacks on Israel by Hamas” in a statement following the October 7 attack in Israel. Fetterman lost support within his party after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested that he is a “bully”.
Fetterman expressed his frustration with some of his members' decisions over how to handle the Israeli problem. “I don’t agree with a lot of their views, but whatever kinds of political choices or any kind of political costs that I’ve incurred throughout all that, I don’t care.”
{{/usCountry}}Fetterman expressed his frustration with some of his members' decisions over how to handle the Israeli problem. “I don’t agree with a lot of their views, but whatever kinds of political choices or any kind of political costs that I’ve incurred throughout all that, I don’t care.”
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, hundreds of anti-Israel demonstrators breached the initial fence line outside the DNC. While some of them were later arrested by Chicago police, others were driven back by cops who were behind them in order to maintain the safety of the perimeter.
After their arrival at Union Park earlier on Monday, the demonstrators marched to Park 578, which is a short distance from the United Center. This comes as President Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and other speakers will address a crowd of up to 4,000 Democratic delegates on Monday.
“Demonstrators breached a portion of anti-scale fencing along the Democratic National Convention’s outer perimeter near the United Center on Aug. 19. Law enforcement personnel were immediately on-scene and contained the situation. At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees,” the police said in a statement.
Fetterman's spokesperson reacts, says 'I don't agree with…'
Carrie Adams, Fetterman's director of communications, told the Free Press that “I don't agree” with his opinion on Israel and Palestine.
Carrie Adams informed him of her disagreement after which the Senator hung the call, as per the report.
“I have a sense that his international views are a lot less nuanced than my generation, because when he was growing up, it was might makes right, and for my generation and younger who, of course, are the ones protesting this, they have a much more nuanced view of the region,” Adams said.
Adams began working with Fetterman following the resignation of the senator's former director of communications due to Fetterman's overt support of Israel.
According to Republican communications strategist Erin Perrine, it is “big deal” when employees criticize their employer.
“But when the person whose job it is to speak for the boss, defend their decisions, and manage the press does it -- That’s an unparalleled level of hubris,” Perrine wrote on X.
In a post on X, Democratic strategist Symone Sanders-Townsend asked if Adams should be fired after her remarks.
“Not saying I disagree with her viewpoint. Rather. Since when does the comms director call up reporters to say ‘I disagree’ with the principal?” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Columnist John Podhoretz of the New York Post noted that Adams' X feed is temporarily private.