Jon Stewart sat down with Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) to discuss politics for an upcoming episode of “The Weekly Show” and confronted the ardently pro-Israel Democrat over his comments about what would cause him to bolt the party.
Fetterman recently said that his “red line” for changing sides would be if the Democratic Party formally adopts the anti-Israel stance of the rising socialist wing that has made opposition to the longtime U.S. ally the center of its appeal to young voters.
The old school liberal has been a fervent critic of the left-wing excesses of his party and has alienated many of those who once sang his praises over his defense of the Jewish state.
In a teaser clip for the episode posted by the Democrat shill to X on Tuesday, Stewart reminded Fetterman of which country he is supposed to be representing, and it’s not the one in the Middle East.
Jon is joined by U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) for discussion on the Democratic Party, Israel, and the issues that continue to shape his politics. New podcast out tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/QAmZazHzOQ
— The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart (@weeklyshowpod) August 4, 2026
“So for you, you could agree with them 90 percent, but Israel is the red line?” Stewart asked, referring to the statement that Fetterman made during one of his regular Fox News appearances last month.
“Absolutely, Israel for me,” the senator responded. “I can’t ever turn my back to Israel after where it’s at.”
“So, and I mean no disrespect on this, but that is not our country,” the host explained.
“You’re saying that these candidates may have great ideas for our economy, they may want to do the exact same thing you want to do, in terms of getting money out of politics. They may want to increase the social safety net. They may want to change the balance of power from capital back to labor, but if they don’t agree with you on Israel, you don’t want them in your party?” Stewart asked.
“Well, I don’t know who you’re referencing to, specifically,” Fetterman replied.
“No, I’m referencing what you just said,” Stewart shot back, responding to the senator’s request to “name one” by running down a list of leftist Democrats including Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and commie coot Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“I assume you agree with a lot of what they say economically,” Stewart told his guest.
“What I’m saying is, like, if you are a DSA member, if you are a member of a specific political party, run under your own banner,” Fetterman said, suggesting that the Democratic Socialists of America should focus on running on their own instead of parasitically leeching onto the Democratic Party as their host.
“It’s just an organization,” Stewart responded, defending DSA. “We have a two-party system. It’s like the Freedom Caucus in the Republican Party.”
“You’re literally saying, ‘We can all have discussions, except when it comes to Israel,’ which is not America. It seems like a weird line to draw,” Stewart added.
The clip is also noteworthy because the hulking senator shucked his hoodie for an actual suit, professional business attire that he has almost religiously shunned since Pennsylvanians sent him to D.C. as their elected representative.
Fetterman’s support for the Jewish state has him sticking out like a sore thumb in his party and has opened him up to overtures to join the GOP, which is unshakably all-in for Israel.
He has so far denied that he would jump ship on the Democrats but has also made it clear what his “red line” will be.
“That’s my red line,” Fetterman told CNN’s Manu Raju last month. “If the Democratic Party becomes official anti-Israel, then that’s when I would force me out.”
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