John Fetterman was a darling of the radical left when he could barely speak. Today, leftists don’t like what he has to say, and it’s costing him dearly. It’s a sad reflection of how the Democratic Party demands total compliance with its radical agenda. For sure, Pennsylvania has been trending red, and I think Fetterman has been strategically positioning himself as a “progressive” who isn’t a rubber-stamp for the far left. That may help his numbers with Republicans, but it’s killing him with his own party.
CNN's Harry Enten broke down just how far the Pennsylvania senator has fallen with Pennsylvania Democrats, and the results are staggering — a 108-point swing in net approval since 2023.
Back when Fetterman first came to Washington, he had a net approval rating of 68 points among Pennsylvania Democrats. Today? He sits at -40. "He's down there with the Titanic among Democrats in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," Enten said.
To put that in perspective, Chuck Schumer — who is himself widely disliked by the Democratic base — has a net popularity rating of around minus two points nationwide. That makes Schumer 38 points more popular nationwide than Fetterman is with Pennsylvania Democrats. Enten also pointed to Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in Arizona after her own collapse in popularity over her refusal to nuke the filibuster, among other things. Even Sinema was considerably more popular just before she bolted than Fetterman is right now.
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The historical comparisons make the situation look even worse for Fetterman. Senators who actually lost their own primaries — the ones who got kicked out by their own party voters — were far more popular than Fetterman is right now.
"There is no historical analog to this," Enten said. "That is how unpopular John Fetterman is with Pennsylvania Democrats. There is basically no doubt in my mind that if Fetterman decides to run for re-election as a Democrat, he will face a primary challenge and it will be a very competitive one."
Remember, Fetterman hasn’t become a conservative or even a moderate. He’s taken a relatively small number of positions against his party, and that has been enough. From voting for the Laken Riley Act, to supporting Israel, supporting Operation Epic Fury, and even saving the nomination of Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) as Department of Homeland Security Secretary.
The most recent flashpoint was Fetterman's vote to advance Mullin out of committee for the DHS Secretary confirmation. That vote essentially greased the skids for Mullin's confirmation. According to the Polymarket prediction market, Mullin has a 98% chance of being confirmed before May 2026. Enten called Fetterman "the big reason why Markwayne Mullin is going to get confirmed as DHS Secretary" — yet another entry in a growing list of grievances Pennsylvania Democrats have with their senator.
John Fetterman's had a 108 pt drop in his net approval with PA Dems since 2023.
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) March 20, 2026
His net rating is -40 pt net approval with them.
His net popularity with his own party is worse than all senators who lost a primary this century.
There's no historical analog to his unpopularity. pic.twitter.com/r9S0gZjql6
For Democrats, be they in Pennsylvania or elsewhere, not opposing Trump 100% of the time is a crime. Fetterman will most certainly be primaried when he’s up for reelection in 2028; whether he can survive that challenge is something no one can say yet.
