In a political climate where loyalty often trumps truth, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is once again setting himself apart from the Democratic establishment, this time by directly condemning violent anti-ICE protests that have engulfed Los Angeles.
As party leaders either stayed silent or placed the blame on former President Donald Trump, Fetterman made it clear: what’s happening on the streets isn’t peaceful protest, it’s chaos.
“I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration, but this is not that,” Fetterman wrote Monday alongside a photo of a rioter waving a Mexican flag on top of a burning car.
“This is anarchy and true chaos.” Fetterman said.
Democratic Leaders Stick to 2020 Playbook
Over the past week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out a series of lawful operations across California. Instead of supporting the federal agents enforcing immigration laws, leading Democrats quickly turned on them.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass accused ICE of spreading “terror,” asserting the city would “not stand for this.” California Senator Alex Padilla went even further, calling the ICE activity “a continuation of a disturbing pattern of extreme and cruel immigration enforcement operations,” and demanding “accountability for today’s actions.”
Their statements echoed the rhetoric of 2020, when progressive leaders labeled nationwide rioting as “mostly peaceful,” while condemning Trump’s response as authoritarian.
Rioters Turn to Violence as Democrats Stay Quiet
As left-wing activists took to the streets, scenes of violence spread across L.A.: masked protesters assaulted officers, lit fires, and looted businesses, all under the banner of opposing ICE.
Despite the destruction, most prominent Democrats remained mute. But the moment President Trump called in the National Guard and labeled the protesters “troublemakers and insurrectionists,” the script flipped.
Suddenly, party figureheads like Gov. Gavin Newsom and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey began acknowledging the violence, only to blame it on Trump.
“My Party Loses the Moral High Ground”
Fetterman didn’t mince words. His Monday statement struck a chord, and a nerve.
“My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement,” he added.
That moral clarity won him praise from the right, while drawing scorn from his own camp.
Podcast host Keith Olbermann dismissed the senator’s remarks. But others, including Republicans and centrists, saw something rare in modern politics: honesty.
“Well said,” responded Alabama Sen. Katie Britt.
“It’s hard to preach hard truths to your own side. I respect this,” added GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Even Elon Musk chimed in with a simple American flag emoji.
A Wake-Up Call to Democrats?
Deputy White House Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich used Fetterman’s words to highlight what he sees as a deeper fracture within the Democratic Party.
“This is a wake up call for many Democrats: there is no room for you in the party of @GavinNewsom and @KamalaHarris,” Budowich wrote.
“Their self-obsessed pursuits of power are blind to you and your concerns. They defend chaos, reject biology, and are unbothered by the invasion of our nation.”
While Democrats rally around ideological narratives, Fetterman appears to be carving out a lane of pragmatism, one that refuses to justify violence under the guise of progressivism.
Can One Voice Shift the Party’s Tone?
Fetterman has made a habit of bucking the party line. In 2023, he was among the few Democrats who refused to join in bashing Israel after the Hamas terror attacks.
Now, he’s doing it again risking backlash, but potentially signaling a growing frustration among Democrats who feel alienated by their party’s radical turn.
The question is: will others follow, or will Fetterman remain a lone voice of reason in a party racing toward the fringes?
