Fetterman’s GOP convention video caught even some of his staffers off guard

By Lauren Fox, Sarah Ferris, Kristen Holmes, CNN

(CNN) — Even some of Democratic Sen. John Fetterman’s staffers were caught off guard when they saw him appearing in a video at the Republican midterm convention, according to two sources.

But they weren’t exactly surprised.

Fetterman has a long history of breaking with his own party, voting for some of Trump’s nominees and backing the president’s military actions in the Middle East. But more than that, the sources said, he is unusually close with the Senate colleague he introduced at the convention: GOP Sen. Dave McCormick.

One source involved in the convention programming said McCormick was key to securing Fetterman’s participation; another insisted it wasn’t a challenge to get the Pennsylvania Democrat on board. His decision to participate, though, infuriated Democrats, who accused him of subverting his own party’s efforts to win in November and giving Republicans a gratuitous win.

The convention, after all, was meant to rile up the Trump base and attract media attention; it was designed by some of the same Trump political team members who had him flipping burgers at McDonald’s during the 2024 campaign. Some Republicans briefed on the planning said officials had even hoped Fetterman might show up in person, raising the shock value.

Just four years ago, Fetterman and McCormick nearly faced each other in their state’s heated 2022 Senate battle . Instead, McCormick lost that year’s primary, only to have a successful comeback bid two years later. Now, former staffers describe Fetterman as intensely loyal to his Republican counterpart, saying that he often remarked to staffers that he saw McCormick,  who is officially the state’s junior senator, as a “mentor.”

It’s a relationship that had been a regular source of tension for some former Fetterman staffers, some who said they had concerns Fetterman was too accommodating to Pennsylvania’s junior senator.

“He has literally never said no to McCormick,” one former staffer told CNN, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the dynamics of the relationship. “It’s the most bizarre dynamic I have ever seen.”

Another person close to Fetterman called McCormick Fetterman’s “emotional support Republican,” adding that they feared Fetterman’s friendship with McCormick was at times clouding his political judgement.

CNN has reached out to Fetterman’s and McCormick’s offices to request comment.

Fetterman and McCormick have forged a strong alliance in the Senate, a rarity in the Senate for lawmakers who hail from the same state and opposite parties. Pennsylvania – a quintessential political battleground – is one of just three states in the Senate with split delegations, alongside Maine and Wisconsin.

In the last year, Fetterman and McCormick have issued nearly a dozen joint press releases or referred to each other in statements while introducing joint bills ranging from battling opioid addiction to taming the invasive lantern fly. They’ve sent joint letters to university presidents demanding answers on antisemitism, and they have boasted of bridge and infrastructure projects for the state – notably, sharing political kudos, rather than battling over who deserved credit for the moves.

“They disagree on most ideological questions, but they have found a lot of common ground on Pennsylvania-centric issues,” McCormick adviser and CNN contributor Brad Todd told CNN Thursday. “They agree that Israel has the right to exist and Pennsylvanians have a right to make a good living and they are willing to work together on those things.”

Even more unexpected, the two men have teamed up to fundraise: Earlier this summer, they launched a joint fundraising committee, drawing the ire of some Democrats who blasted the move.

Some of Fetterman’s fellow Pennsylvania Democrats saw the move as something of a political mutiny, given their party’s steep financial needs this midterm cycle, including in a handful of key races in their home state.

Many felt a similar sentiment at Fetterman’s involvement in the GOP convention on Wednesday night.

Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Democrat who represents part of the Philadelphia suburbs, said her constituents – some of whom knocked doors for Fetterman – are “absolutely livid” at him now.

“I am gravely disappointed with John and that stunt. What I wish he was doing was back home in Pennsylvania, making sure, like I am, that Pennsylvania will see more Democratic members of the House who uphold the values that he originally ran on,” she said at a press conference in Texas on Thursday, which Democrats organized as counterprogramming to the GOP convention.

Privately, several Democrats are already eying primary runs against Fetterman in 2028. Rep. Chris Deluzio, a progressive Democrat who represents the Pittsburgh suburbs, has been particularly critical, along with Rep. Brendan Boyle and former Rep. Susan Wild, who have also not ruled out a run.

But behind the scenes there is also a feeling among some Democrats that there need not be any recourse for Fetterman. Democratic leaders would rather keep him the fold than alienate him – especially when he still largely votes with Democrats. Fetterman has made clear he isn’t looking to change parties. And he still has a relationship with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, whom he dined with right before the August recess in a one-on-one meeting, according to a source familiar with the dinner.

In recent days, Fetterman has attracted more scrutiny. A Wall Street Journal story published earlier this month reported Fetterman was consistently pushing off meetings and needing to be coaxed into performing routine duties of the job. As backlash mounted online, McCormick swiftly defended Fetterman, dismissing the allegations as “the latest example of outrageously disloyal staff and forces on the left using anonymous leaks to cancel my friend John Fetterman.”

“They hate that he is an independent thinker who refuses to fall into line so they want to silence him. He and I will continue to work together to deliver for Pennsylvania by saving jobs at U.S. Steel, passing a new law to make housing more affordable,” McCormick said on X.

On Wednesday night, Fetterman returned the favor, appearing by video in front of a steel factory, introducing McCormick who was slated to speak at the convention as a “friend” and despite their party differences “the kind of senator who gets the job done.”

Todd, the McCormick adviser, attributed the rare partnership between the two Keystone State senators to the state’s own politics – since almost every other state’s delegation share a political party. “We just don’t have many split delegations now, so therefore people have decided this is weird,” Todd said.

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