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By Peter Aitken
Politics Weekend Editor
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Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a Democrat, has urged his party to consider their core value and what the party's "brand" is ahead of a critical midterm election.
Why It Matters
The Democratic Party remains deeply divided following last year's 43-day shutdown, which the party pursued in order to force a vote on healthcare subsidies that expired at the end of the year. The shutdown led several major and critical safety nets, such as SNAP benefits, to lapse, forcing states to cover the costs until the shutdown ended.
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Some members of the party, including Fetterman, have been openly critical of how the party enacted its strategy, while others argued that resistance was necessary even at the risk of political capital. Some Senate Democrats, including Fetterman, ultimately supported the funding plan that re-opened the government, prompting criticism from prominent party figures such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Governor Gavin Newsom of California.
Fetterman in particular has grown increasingly isolated in his party over his willingness to engage directly with Republicans and President Donald Trump, with increased scrutiny from the public and media over the senator's health and conduct, including reports of erratic behavior in private meetings. Fetterman has rejected any claims about his conduct as politically motivated.
What To Know
During an appearance on Politico's podcast The Conversation with Dasha Burns, Fetterman said that he expects Democrats to regain control of the House and close the gap on the Republicans in the Senate, but that the Democrats have to fix their "brand" if they want to ensure long-term success.
"Our brand continues to drop," Fetterman said, adding, "I don’t treat voters like children where it...it’s like trying to explain why it’s wrong to shut our government down."
"If you really want healthcare, if you really want something ... there’s better ways to do this," Fetterman explained. "As a Democrat, 42 million Americans count on SNAP. Millions of, you know, people, it’s like that kinds of flux."
"My wife works in that space, and you witnessed how the demand surged on the ground," he continued. "As a Democrat, that’s a violation of, I think, what should be our core value."
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What Do Polls Say About Republican and Democratic Approval Ratings?
Fetterman made his comments after Quinnipiac polling that followed the prolonged government shutdown last year—a 43-day shutdown that stands as the longest in U.S. history—found that just 18 percent of voters approved of how Democrats were handling their job, which marked a record low for the pollster, according to The Hill.
However, it should be noted that Gallup polling from December 2025 had a Congressional approval rating of around 17 percent, which was a drop from 26 percent in September before the shutdown started. In December, Republicans had an approval rating of 29 percent, and Democrats had an approval rating of 24 percent.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had approval ratings of about 36 percent each, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune had an approval rating of 34 percent and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had around 28 percent.
Pollster YouGov has found that in 2026, Democrats ended January with a favorability of around 29 percent, which would be an increase over 2025, but a significant drop since Trump won the 2024 election, at which point in November 2024, Congressional Democrats had an approval rating of around 39 percent.
What People Are Saying
Senator John Husted of Ohio, a Republican, on X: "Democrats are choosing to let the government shut down rather than engage in good-faith negotiations—and that means not paying TSA agents, FEMA personnel, and Coast Guardsman."
Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a Republican, on X: "When you shut down the government, it doesn’t actually shut down. Most employees at the Department of Homeland Security are deemed essential and required to work without pay. That’s why Congress should pass the Shutdown Fairness Act — to ensure people are paid on time and to stop Democrats from using Americans as political pawns in their dysfunctional partisan games."
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a Democrat, on X: "When only the wealthy can afford peace of mind for their children, we've turned childhood into a privilege, not a promise. I am proud to lead the Child Care for Every Community Act with [Senator Elizabeth Warren] to cap childcare costs and fight for universal childcare."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, discussing a video of ICE on X: "This is not America. This is why Democrats voted NO on more funding for ICE. And we will continue to do so until ICE is reined in and the violence ends."
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