‘He’s not liberal or conservative. He’s just a commonsense person, which is beautiful,’ the president-elect told the Washington Examiner.
President-elect Donald Trump said he was very impressed with Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) following their meeting over the weekend, calling him a “fascinating man” with common sense.
Trump touted his hourlong visit with the Pennsylvania Democrat at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
“It was a totally fascinating meeting,“ Trump said in an exclusive interview with the Washington Examiner. ”He’s a fascinating man, and his wife is lovely. They were both up, and I couldn’t be more impressed. “He’s a commonsense person. He’s not liberal or conservative. He’s just a commonsense person, which is beautiful.”
According to Trump, the pair discussed a range of topics including support for Israel, border security, and the benefits of acquiring Greenland.
They also discussed the future of U.S. Steel, a company based in Fetterman’s home state of Pennsylvania. They both oppose the acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japanese company Nippon Steel.
President Joe Biden earlier this month blocked the merger, citing concerns over national security. Both companies have since sued the Biden administration over its decision to block the $14.9 billion deal.
According to the president-elect, the pair talked about the fate of U.S. Steel now that the acquisition was blocked and how tariffs could support the American company moving forward.
“They’re going to make people that have steel mills do very well, and the people that work at those steel mills are going to do very well,” Trump said.
Last week, Fetterman said in a statement that Trump invited him to Mar-a-lago and he accepted.
“I’m the senator for all Pennsylvanians—not just Democrats in Pennsylvania,” wrote in a post on X. “I’ve been clear that no one is my gatekeeper. I will meet with and have a conversation with anyone if it helps me deliver for Pennsylvania and the nation.”
Fetterman previously served as the mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, from 2006 to 2019 and as the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania from 2019 to 2023.
He was elected to the Senate in 2022, defeating Trump-backed Republican opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz. The Senate seat in Pennsylvania was the only one to flip parties in that election. Fetterman made headlines at the time when he suffered a stroke on the way to a campaign event. Later on the campaign trail, Fetterman used his stroke as an example of how to get back up after being knocked down.
Fetterman is the only sitting Democratic senator to visit Trump at Mar-a-lago.
Trump said Fetterman loves Pennsylvania and the country. Along with praise for Fetterman, Trump touted bipartisanship among lawmakers in his second term.
“It’s been amazing, and there’s been cooperation within the Republicans and a lot of the Democrats,” Trump said.
Trump will take the oath of office as the 47th president on Jan. 20.
