A Democrat who supported Donald Trump’s nominee for DHS Secretary has explained why he split with the majority of his party to vote in Markwayne Mullin.
John Fetterman, who often breaks with the party line, was one of only two Democrats who helped usher in the new Department of Homeland Security boss.
The Pennsylvania lawmaker told Fox News’ Saturday in America he voted for the MAGA Republican in an attempt to ‘put country over party’.
‘What’s interesting is there were plenty of Democrats that criticized me for voting, for, to work with, Secretary Mullin,’ he said.
‘But I haven’t seen other kinds of criticism when you have people calling for the death of American service members in the middle of downtown Philadelphia.
‘I mean, I’m on the right side of reasonable. I’m on the right side of never shut the government down.
‘I’m the guy that’s on the side of country over party, and I’m going to remain in that exact space.’
Anti-American protesters gathered in Philadelphia and vowed to celebrate the deaths of US soldiers, shocking video revealed on Thursday.
Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senator John Fetterman on Fox News’ Saturday in America with host Kayleigh McEnany on Saturday, March 28, 2026
Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump’s replacement for the post of Homeland Security Secretary, formerly held by Kristi Noem
‘For every US military base that crumbles and for every US soldier who returns home in a casket, we cheer,’ a masked speaker told the crowd at the time.
The anti-America rally was condemned on Thursday by Fetterman, who called the remarks ‘Truly appalling,’ on X.
Fetterman also wrote on X at the time, ‘These a**holes chanting [sic] for the death of our servicemembers.’
‘Where’s the Dem outrage and condemnation?’ he asked.
Across the aisle, Texas Senator Ted Cruz quickly responded to Fetterman.
‘Very good Q,’ Cruz posted, also calling the demonstration ‘sick’ in a separate post.
Last week, Fetterman was one of two Democrats who voted to confirm Mullin’s nomination for the role of DHS Secretary.
Fetterman and Democrat Martin Heinrich of New Mexico crossed party lines to support the majority of Republicans and approve the nomination, which was confirmed 54-45 on Monday evening.
Mullin’s nomination was also advanced out of the Senate homeland security committee the week prior, only after Fetterman was the only member of his party to support the nominee.
Over the last few months, Fetterman has toed a fine line on the immigration issue.
He has both defended the work of ICE agents ‘deporting criminal migrants in our country’, while also calling for now-former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to be ousted and for the agency to come under ‘new leadership.’
