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Quick Take
In an interview, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania said some people in his state think former President Donald Trump is a “terrible person” but they say “I will still vote for him.” A social media post misrepresents Fetterman’s comments to claim he supports Trump. The senator supports Vice President Kamala Harris.
Full Story
Pennsylvania is one of the critical battlegrounds in the 2024 presidential election, with its 19 electoral votes making it a key state for the Republican and Democratic candidates. The state has seen the highest spending on television and radio ads, with over $138 million reserved by groups supporting the two presidential candidates.
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has been vocal about supporting Vice President Kamala Harris since President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race on July 21. In a July 22 post on X, Fetterman expressed his backing for Harris, writing, “Proud to support and be all in for the next president, @KamalaHarris.”
Despite this clear endorsement, a Sept. 23 post on Threads misrepresents Fetterman’s comments, suggesting he was shifting his support to former President Donald Trump. The post says, “Wait! Did John Fetterman just say he’s voting For Trump[?] Dude was voted in as a lobotomized Dem and came out a based Republican lol[.] He really should just switch parties at this point.” Text on a video embedded in the post reads, “DEMOCRATS PANIC: John Fetterman makes SHOCKING admission on Trump! BAD NEWS FOR KAMALA!”
This mischaracterization of Fetterman’s remarks stemmed from his interview at The Atlantic Festival in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 19. Fetterman was speaking with the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, when he discussed how some voters continue to support Trump despite his controversial history.
In a short clip of the interview shared on the Threads post, Goldberg asked Fetterman what people see “in Donald Trump that makes them want to vote for him?”
Fetterman responded, “I know some people that are like, ‘I personally think he’s a terrible person, or I am appalled by some of these things. But I fundamentally think that I will still vote for him.'”
In his response, Fetterman also said, “There is energy and there’s kinds of anger on the ground in Pennsylvania, and people are very committed, and Trump is going to be strong, and we have to respect that.”
Trump has been competitive in Pennsylvania in the last two presidential elections. He barely won Pennsylvania in 2016 and lost the state by a slim margin in 2020.
When asked for comment on the social media post, a spokesperson for Fetterman told us in a Sept. 26 email, “He’s not saying he feels this way, he is saying this is how people feel.”
“In this same interview, he spoke at length about his support for VP Harris. He also campaigned for her in Pennsylvania this weekend and has campaigned with her in the commonwealth multiple times in the past month,” the spokesperson added.
Earlier in the Atlantic interview, Fetterman said Pennsylvanians will have to decide if they want four years of Trump’s “kind of chaos” or Harris’ “new way forward.” He added, “And it’s going to be close, and she will prevail.”
On Sept. 5, Fetterman shared a photo alongside Kamala Harris, saying, “Wheels down in Pixburgh with our NEXT PRESIDENT, @KamalaHarris!”
He reiterated his commitment to the Democratic ticket in a post on Sept. 26, saying, “Tonight, I’m in Butler County in a room with the @TheButlerDems. The message: fight for every vote in every county. The mission: President @KamalaHarris.”
Editor’s note: FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on social media. Our previous stories can be found here. Facebook has no control over our editorial content.
Sources
Bidgood, Jess. “The Four Swing States That Could Matter Most.” New York Times. 25 Sep 2024.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “President of the United States, County Breakdown.” 8 Nov 2016.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “President of the United States, County Breakdown.” 3 Nov 2020.
Sen. John Fetterman. Spokesperson. Email to FactCheck.org. 26 Sep 2024.
John Fetterman. “Proud to support and be all in for the next president, @KamalaHarris.” X. 22 Jul 2024.
John Fetterman. “Tonight, I’m in Butler County in a room with the @TheButlerDems. The message: fight for every vote in every county. The mission: President @KamalaHarris.” X. 26 Sep 2024.
John Fetterman. “Wheels down in Pixburgh with our NEXT PRESIDENT, @KamalaHarris!” X. 5 Sep 2024.
The Atlantic. “The Rise of Political Polarization With Senator John Fetterman | The Atlantic Festival 2024.” 20 Sep 2024.