Self-avowed “capitalist” John Fetterman tried to explain why he’s still a Democrat despite admitting that the ranks within his own party are becoming “increasingly anti-American.”

In a lengthy interview with Reason magazine’s Nick Gillespie, the Pennsylvania Dem said that the culture and politics have changed since his 2026 endorsement of Bernie Sanders for president.

Gillespie asked Fetterman about his “evolution” toward the center as he pressed the issue.

[Sanders] is “an avowed Democratic Socialist or a socialist at various points, he’s called himself, you know. What is it that rubbed you the wrong way about socialists or communists?” Gillespie asked.

“Well, I mean, you know, in 2016, it was much more about the minimum wage and some other very basic kinds of things. And now that’s, that’s just turned into much more standing with like Cuba, standing with Venezuela, standing with the Iranian regime, and turning that into much more becoming more increasingly anti-American for me. So my views really haven’t changed that much,” Fetterman replied.

Fetterman then echoed what millions of former Democrats have said (emphasis added):

“Things that, that I supported, I was very supported [sic] about gay rights, you know, things back in 2013, even before you and I, well, it would have been a couple of years. Yeah, you know, I was officiating a gay marriage when that was illegal and I was, I was happy to get arrested on that. So my views really haven’t changed.”

“What’s really changed is, is the party. And in 2024, I was campaigning for Kamala Harris there as a Democrat. It was very clear we were going to lose,” Fetterman continued.

“And a lot of the excesses that we’ve had in 2020 came back to revisit. And that really, I think, cost us that election in 2024.”

“I’m sorry, Nick, let me say, the excess of the party back then summoned the second term of the Trump administration.”

When Gillespie pressed Fetterman on the Democrat Party’s vilification of men through the years, he went back to his roots.

“Well, if you make someone feel uncomfortable or unwelcome, they will leave, and they’ve done that. Back in 2016, I’ve witnessed that,” Fetterman said.

“I lived directly across the street from a steel mill and the union hall.”

“And I was doing an event for Secretary Clinton at that time. And I was asking the union president, well, where’s your people on that? He’s like, at least half, half if not more are in for Trump.”

“And there was just coincidentally a guy in a big truck drove by, and he honked, ‘Go Trump, Go Trump.’ And he had truck nuts on the trailer and had a Trump sticker. I’m like, you know, clearly that was already well underway.”

“And now I think we effectively can count that a lot of those traditional union members have already left the Democratic Party. And that’s where we are. And it’s been a serious realignment of parts of our base.”

You can watch Reason’s full interview below:

(Video Credit: Reason)

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