Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has publicly called on Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to halt his endorsements of political candidates, accusing him of backing individuals who damage the Democratic Party’s electoral prospects.
Speaking with Fox News co-host Kayleigh McEnany on Saturday, Fetterman criticized Sanders’ recent endorsement choices, specifically pointing to progressive candidates in Maine and Michigan.
The comments follow the recent withdrawal of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, who ended his campaign earlier this month after facing an allegation of sexual assault from a relationship five years ago.
Fetterman also targeted Sanders’ support for Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate currently running in a competitive Michigan Senate race against Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). Fetterman characterized El-Sayed as “essentially a pro-Hamas candidate” who has been “anti-American and deeply anti-Israel,” citing past statements where El-Sayed compared Israel to Hamas.
“Humble yourself, Bernie,” Fetterman said during the broadcast. “You just pushed an accused rapist up in Maine, and now you’re pushing essentially a pro-Hamas candidate that’s been anti-American and deeply anti-Israel.”
Fetterman expressed concern over a recent Pew Research Center poll indicating that 44% of American Muslims support Hamas, noting that El-Sayed had not addressed the data. Fetterman added, “That’s not someone I could ever support. These are the kind of candidates that Bernie keeps pushing. Look at the kinds of train wrecks that have been elected in New York, too.”
The friction between the two lawmakers follows previous remarks from Fetterman last week, in which he accused Sanders of backing candidates who undermine the national party. Sanders previously supported New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his successful 2025 mayoral campaign. Fetterman stated that if he were in Sanders’ position, he would pause endorsements to “recalibrate things.” RELATED: Political Revolution? Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders Says A Grassroots Wave Is Taking Over America
Separately, El-Sayed faced questioning during a CNN appearance last week regarding past statements about defunding law enforcement, where he was pressed on whether he had previously advocated for the policy. Sanders has not yet publicly responded to Fetterman’s statements.
CORRECTION: A reader pointed out that we labeled Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens as a Republican in the original publication. This has been corrected.
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