Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is weighing in on Donald Trump’s victory in November’s presidential election, highlighting a moment he believes may have sealed the election results.
In an interview with the New York Times published Wednesday, Fetterman was asked to assess whether the Democratic Party’s losses this month were inevitable given the sense of dissent around the world.
“That’s the right question to ask,” Fetterman said, before revealing some of the things he thinks played a big role in helping Trump win.
One was an attempt on Trump’s life at a rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. One soldier died as a result of this attack.
“I think some people seem to forget that, or how dangerous it was to the nation, God forbid, either [Trump] he could have been fatally injured,” Fetterman said.
A gunman targeted Mr. Trump while he was speaking at a campaign event, this shot injured Mr. Trump’s ear. As Secret Service agents moved quickly to remove him, the Republican politician pumped his first into the air, saying, “Fight!”
“But the kind of imagery and the kind of energy that came out of there, absolutely, I saw down in Pennsylvania,” Fetterman said. “I thought, well, it could be a ball.”
Fetterman also emphasized the role that billionaire Elon Musk’s support played in helping Trump boost support among blue-collar men, a group that Democrats have struggled with.
“It’s rare, in my opinion, that supporters have ‘fanboys,'” Fetterman said when discussing Musk. “To make fun of him or make light of it, you do it at your own peril, because it matters.”
The senator also urged his fellow members of the Democratic Alliance to take time to settle and reconcile with the results of the election instead of resorting to violence.
“We have to really run on our own, or … just hold on. Know that this is how elections are conducted,” he said.
Read more on Fetterman at The New York Times.