Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has earned rare cross-party commendation after he publicly declined to attack the recently assassinated Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk during an interview with Katie Couric.
Fetterman’s non-partisan conduct was the central topic on Fox News’ The Story, where a bipartisan panel praised the Democrat for prioritizing decency over political point-scoring.
The discussion, featuring former Trump senior adviser Jason Miller and former DNC deputy press secretary Jose Aristimuno, centered on Fetterman’s refusal to take partisan “bait” from Couric, who pressed the Senator to criticize the deceased Kirk and the posthumous honors he received. RELATED: Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman Declines Couric’s Bait To Criticize Slain TPUSA Founder Charlie Kirk
An Example of Needed Decency
Jason Miller initiated the praise, commending Fetterman for showing “non-partisan basic human decency.” Miller argued that Fetterman’s actions were a necessary countermeasure against a growing “level of vitriol” in national politics, which he described as a “broader sickness.”
“This is a politician who is saying, ‘Look, you know what? A man was assassinated. A father of young children was shot in public. This is not the time for political arguments,'” Miller stated, urging all politicians to “take the temperature down a little bit and just be decent human beings.”
A “Common Sense Democrat”
Jose Aristimuno quickly seconded Miller’s remarks, characterizing Fetterman as a “good man” and a “common sense Democrat.” Aristimuno agreed that when the Democratic Party shifts toward the middle, it performs better politically, noting Fetterman’s successful connection with working-class voters in Pennsylvania.
Both panelists emphasized that Americans should be able to put politics aside to engage in dialogue. They asserted that before being Republicans or Democrats, everyone is American, and the willingness of a figure like Fetterman to potentially sit down with political opponents exemplifies what “real politics should look like.”
Fetterman’s Position on Couric’s Podcast
During the original segment on Next Question with Katie Couric, Fetterman had been asked to weigh in critically on the honors given to Kirk and his past rhetoric.
Fetterman, however, refused to take a stance, citing the need for “space to grieve” rather than continuing a political argument, especially after a public tragedy.
“I just chose not to take the opportunity to argue his views after… children lost their father in the most violent public way,” Fetterman said, successfully resisting Couric’s pushes to engage in the partisan attack.
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