Trump says he'd 'love' to have Fetterman as a Republican

Asked whether he had spoken to Fetterman about switching parties, Trump said: 'I'd love to see it. I think he's great.' He added that 'it's going to be hard for him to get the nomination as a Democrat, but I'd love to have him as a Republican,' and said the senator does better in polls as a Republican than as a Democrat. Trump described Fetterman as 'a very solid person' who is 'smart' with 'great common sense.'

Fetterman, who joined the Senate in 2023, has voted with Senate Democrats nearly 90 percent of the time, a figure that has fallen to just under 81 percent in the current session, according to Fox News Digital. He has broken with his party on the Iran war and immigration, among other issues, and Trump has praised him before.

A party switch would be a political earthquake: Fetterman's seat is up in 2028, and Pennsylvania's swing state status makes any defection consequential. Fetterman has not publicly responded to Trump's invitation.