Fetterman criticizes Democrats on border security during bipartisan forum

Both Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman and GOP Sen. Dave McCormick spoke in a bipartisan forum about the importance of border security, with Fetterman going so far as to call out his own party on the issue.

“I’ve kind of, I’ve lost some support in my party. I thought the border was really important, and our party did not handle the border appropriately,” Fetterman told “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream during a FOX Nation presentation of The Senate Project series on Monday. 

“Look at the numbers, 267,000, 300,000 people showing up at our border. And, you know, we can all agree that’s roughly the size of Pittsburgh. Now, that’s unacceptable. And that’s a national security issue. And that’s chaos. So a secure border, being very pro-immigration, that’s who I am as a Democrat.”

Fetterman, who drew the ire of many Democrats when he supported the Laken Riley Act, explained how he has been at “odds with his base” but his values have “never changed” on the immigration issue, which polling shows was a key factor in President Donald Trump’s election victory in November. 

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Sen. John Fetterman talks with reporters after a Senate vote on Feb. 19, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“We are going to disagree and vote on different things,” Fetterman said. “But for me, it’s about trying to find the things we can win together and deliver those kinds of wins for Pennsylvania and ultimately for America.”

Fetterman bucked his own party at multiple points in the discussion with McCormick, including as it relates to his party’s handling of antisemitism on college campuses and in the streets. 

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The border wall separating Mexico from the U.S. in the San Diego sector. (Fox News)

“What happened yesterday in Boulder? It’s astonishing,” Fetterman said, reacting to what the FBI is calling a terrorist attack against a pro-Israel group in Boulder, Colorado, over the weekend. 

“You know, the kinds of, the rank antisemitism, it’s out of control. And for me and as my friend just pointed out, this is just rampant across all the universities for all of these places, too. I mean, we really need to call it what it is. And now and for me, politically, being very, very firmly on the side of Israel, that kind of put parts of my party at odds for that.”

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Sen. Dave McCormick (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The Senate Project series brings together sitting senators from opposing parties for civil dialogue about current political issues, with the goal of identifying solutions and bridging partisan divides. The series reflects the shared mission of the Kennedy Institute and Hatch Foundation to advance bipartisanship.

“Vigorous and open dialogue is an essential part of our democracy and having these two senators from opposite sides of the aisle discuss important issues of the day is a valuable contribution to the public discourse,” Kennedy Institute Chairman Bruce A. Percelay said in a statement.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.