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Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania no doubt gave members of his party heartburn – again – this week when he pushed back on claims that the Trump administration is creating a “constitutional crisis” amid Elon Musk’s efforts to slim down the size and scope of the federal government.
Democrats and their allies in the legacy media have said that a crisis is brewing after Musk and Vice President JD Vance criticized federal court rulings that halted or scaled back some of the work being done by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, with the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX founder even suggesting that some judges should be impeached.
But Fetterman was having none of it.
“When it was [President] Joe Biden, then you [had] a conservative judge jam it up on him, and now we have liberal judges that are going to stop these things. That’s how the process works,” Fetterman told HuffPost on Wednesday in reference to nationwide injunctions against many of the former president’s executive actions.
The Pennsylvania Democrat criticized Musk’s actions—shutting down agencies and placing thousands of workers on administrative leave without congressional approval—as “provocative” and acknowledged they are “certainly a concern.”
However, the senator dismissed claims from some within his party that the country is facing a constitutional crisis.
“There isn’t a constitutional crisis, and all of these things ― it’s just a lot of noise,” Fetterman said. “That’s why I’m only gonna swing on the strikes.”
Fetterman, who frequently criticized Republicans during his early years in the Senate, shifted his approach following Trump’s election last year. He recently met with the president at his Florida estate, supported his immigration bill, praised his Israel policies, and voted to confirm most of his Cabinet nominees.
“I’m still wishing him the best. I’m effectively rooting for him and all the nominees because they’re working for America,” Fetterman said Wednesday after he voted against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, though RFK Jr. was nevertheless confirmed.
Still, several other Democrats have criticized the administration’s approach to dismantling and defunding federal agencies as well as the criticism of mostly leftist federal judges who have curbed some of Trump’s and DOGE’s efforts.
“This isn’t hyperbole to say that we are staring the death of democracy in the eyes right now. The centerpiece of our democracy is that we observe court rulings,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said Tuesday. “No one is above the law, and whether we like it or not, the courts interpret the law.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday blamed the media for “fear-mongering” about the threat of a constitutional crisis.
“The real constitutional crisis is taking place within our judicial branch, where district court judges in liberal courts across the country are abusing their power to unilaterally block President Trump’s basic executive authority,” Leavitt told reporters during a press briefing at the White House.
During an appearance on ABC’s “The View” late last month, Fetterman defended his trip to Mar-a-Lago to see Trump.
During one segment, the co-hosts asked Fetterman why he would go to see Trump in the first place. But he essentially shrugged off the question, noting that during their interaction, Trump was “kind” and “cordial” and called the meeting a “positive experience.”
“I think overall it was a positive experience. I mean, he was — he was kind. He was cordial. It wasn’t in a — in any kind of theater, it wasn’t trying to get any kind of picture taken to put something out on social media. It was really just a conversation,” Fetterman recalled.
Fetterman stated that he and his wife, Gisele, spoke with Trump for over an hour, trying to find common ground on issues such as protecting “dreamers” and food stamp benefits, among other topics. “Overall it was just a straight-up conversation,” Fetterman said.
“It was a totally fascinating meeting,” Trump told the Washington Examiner in an exclusive interview following the meeting. “He’s a fascinating man and his wife is lovely. … I couldn’t be more impressed.”