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By Megan Cartwright
Associate News Editor
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Chris Van Hollen has suggested John Fetterman may be "looking for an exit ramp" from the Democratic Party after the Pennsylvania senator criticized his bid for Senate leadership.
On Fox News Sunday, the Maryland Democrat responded after Fetterman said it would be "troubling" if his caucus elected Van Hollen as its leader because of what he described as the senator's hostility toward Israel.
Van Hollen defended his positions on Israel and Kilmar Abrego Garcia, arguing that neither foreign governments nor the Donald Trump administration should receive a "blank check" when constitutional or legal principles are at stake.
Read More on Politics
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran national who was deported from the United States to El Salvador despite a court order that barred his removal there. His case became a major legal battle over President Trump's immigration policies, eventually reaching the Supreme Court, which backed a lower court order requiring the government to facilitate his return to the United States.
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Why It Matters
Fetterman has increasingly broken with fellow Democrats on Israel and other issues, but has previously rejected suggestions that he plans to become a Republican.
Van Hollen's response turns their policy disagreement into a broader political question by openly suggesting his Pennsylvania colleague could be considering a way out of the party.
What To Know
Van Hollen Responds To Fetterman
Appearing on Fox News Sunday on November 15, Van Hollen began by highlighting an area where he said the two senators could agree.
"First of all, I hope Senator Fetterman will stay true to his economic populist message, and that's something that I would support," Van Hollen said.
He then turned to Fetterman's political future.
"It's widely known that Senator Fetterman is worried about a Democratic primary in his state of Pennsylvania. And so maybe looking for an exit ramp," Van Hollen added.
His comments responded to an interview a day earlier, in which Fetterman was asked by Kayleigh McEnany whether electing Van Hollen as Senate majority leader could become a red line that prompted him to leave the party.
"Yeah, absolutely, it would be troubling if my caucus elects someone like Van Hollen, that has really made his name being very...hostile to Israel," Fetterman said.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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