Latest news with #JohnFetterman
Newsweek
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
John Fetterman On Iran Conflict: 'Not Warmongering, This Is Peacemongering'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania continued to throw his full support behind Israel in its war with Iran this week, saying it's "not warmongering," it's "peacemongering." Why It Matters Israel and Iran have been lobbing missiles and strikes at one another since Israel first attacked Iran last week, decapitating Iran's military and intelligence chain-of-command, destroying nuclear sites and killing key nuclear scientists. The conflict entered its seventh day on Thursday, with Iran launching a strike that hit a major hospital in Israel, injuring at least 240 people and causing extensive damage. Israel subsequently accused Iran of crossing a "red line" and violating international law, and the country's defense minister, Israel Katz, said Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "should not continue to exist." The White House, meanwhile, said President Donald Trump will decide within two weeks whether the United States will join the conflict and launch a strike at Iran. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., participates in a debate with Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., not shown, at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, Monday, June 2, 2025, in Boston, as livestreamed on... Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., participates in a debate with Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., not shown, at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, Monday, June 2, 2025, in Boston, as livestreamed on Fox Nation. More Steven Senne/AP What To Know The rapidly escalating war has divided lawmakers and splintered President Donald Trump's typically ironclad MAGA coalition, as isolationists warn about the U.S. getting mired in another "forever war" in the Middle East and foreign policy hawks support the United States intervening to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Fetterman, one of the most pro-Israel Democrats in Congress, weighed in on the prospect of U.S. involvement on Wednesday, telling reporters: "I'd like to point out ... the polling has shown that, I think it's effectively ... 80 percent of Americans think that Iran should never acquire a nuclear weapon." "So, like, this isn't shocking," the Pennsylvania Democrat added. "You know, it's like, this is not warmongering. This is peacemongering ... I mean, that's not controversial. It definitely shouldn't be controversial for Democrats." Fetterman: This is not warmongering. This is peace mongering. — Acyn (@Acyn) June 19, 2025 A recent Washington Post survey asked about 1,000 Americans whether they would support or oppose the U.S. launching airstrikes at Iran over its nuclear program. According to the poll, 45 percent of Americans oppose the move compared to 25 percent who said they would support a strike. Among Republicans, 47 percent back a U.S. strike against Iran, while 53 percent said they are either unsure or oppose a strike. Meanwhile, just nine percent of Democrats said they would support the move, compared to 67 percent who oppose it and 24 percent who say they're unsure. The Post's survey was conducted on June 18 and had a sample size of 1,008 U.S. adults. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Senators Ricketts, Fetterman unite against China's quiet invasion of US farmland
EXCLUSIVE: Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts is leading the charge with Democrat Sen. John Fetterman to codify oversight on foreign countries buying American farmland. The bipartisan Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure (AFIDA) Improvements Act seeks to implement recommendations published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in January 2024, which found the AFIDA was ill-equipped to combat foreign ownership of American agricultural land. "Communist China is our greatest geopolitical threat," Ricketts told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview, adding, "This is a way for us to improve the disclosure that's going on with regard to the purchase of this agricultural land, so we can take other action if necessary to make sure we're not giving Communist China the opportunity to buy agricultural land." The bill's proposal comes as two Chinese nationals – a University of Michigan post-doctoral research fellow, Yunqing Jian, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology student Chengxuan Han – were held in federal custody after they were accused of smuggling biological materials into the United States. The suspects have been charged with "smuggling a fungus that has been described as a "potential agroterrorism weapon" into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme," interm U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Jerome Gorgon said in a statement. The fungus causes a "head blight," described as a disease of wheat, maize, rice and barley, and is responsible for billions of dollars of economic losses throughout the world each year, according to the Department of Justice. If ingested by humans, the substance can cause vomiting, liver damage and "reproductive defects in humans and livestock." Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that the Trump administration is focused on "keeping our homeland secure" through enhanced border screenings. "Protecting America's food supply and national security remains a top priority. Last week's smuggling attempt by Chinese nationals of Fusarium graminearum, a dangerous crop-destroying fungus, posing a significant bioterrorism threat, only highlights this imperative to combat this threat," McLaughlin said. "That could potentially be very damaging to agriculture," Ricketts told Fox News Digital. "We also know that Chinese nationals have been trying to steal our biotechnology with regard to agriculture. They've also been crashing gates of bases. Supposed Chinese tourists have been flying drones around bases. Of course, the Chinese flew a surveillance balloon over our country when the Biden administration just let that happen." Ricketts said China has been aggressively buying American agriculture, "which is why we need to have a heightened sense of vigilance around protecting our homeland." Foreign investors own over 40 million acres of agricultural land in the United States, and between 2010 and 2021, Chinese ownership of American agricultural land increased from 13,720 acres to 383,935 acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). "It's not just about the number of acres that they own, but the fact that they own it around Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota or Fort Liberty in North Carolina. They're buying it around sensitive military installations," Ricketts said. The bill, also co-sponsored by Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, John Cornyn of Texas, Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, requires AFIDA reporting for foreign persons holding more than 1% interest in American agricultural land. The AFIDA Improvements Act aims to increase information-sharing between the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and the USDA. It also requires updates to the AFIDA's handbook and establishes a deadline for USDA to set up an online AFIDA system. Based on the GAO's recommendations, the bill seeks to update the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 to better equip the USDA to combat foreign adversaries' ownership of American agricultural land. "We are at the most dangerous point in our history right now since World War II," Ricketts said. "We have to be investing in our military. We have to be supporting our friends around the world that are pushing back on these dictators. Communist China is one of them." Additionally, the bill comes as conflict in the Middle East reaches a boiling point between Iran and Israel, reigniting concerns about national security. Israel successfully coordinated attacks against Iran from inside the country, and Ricketts pointed to Ukraine's success in targeting a Russian air base. "What Ukraine was able to do against Russia with their operation that destroyed some of their strategic bombers, and they placed trucks with drones close to an air base and had those drones attack their squadrons. We could be vulnerable to the same thing if China did that here. They've owned farmland close enough to our air bases to be able to launch a drone strike. That should be very concerning to us," Ricketts said. Ricketts added that American farmland should not be a "tool that our adversaries, like Communist China, can use to attack us from inside our own country." There has been little movement on the bill since it was just recently introduced. That is largely because Senate Republicans are narrowly focused on advancing Trump's "big, beautiful bill" ahead of a self-imposed July 4 deadline.
E&E News
2 days ago
- Business
- E&E News
Bipartisan bill would move DOE office to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's senators are sponsoring legislation to move the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy from Washington to Pittsburgh. Sen. Dave McCormick, a Republican, and Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat, last week teamed up to introduce the bill, which would force the move a year after passage. 'For far too long, federal agencies in Washington have been physically removed from the workers and industries they regulate,' McCormick said in a statement. Advertisement 'I'm proud to partner with Senator Fetterman on this legislation to bring a critical Energy Department office to Pittsburgh near the heart of the Marcellus.'
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Fetterman slams fellow Dems for ‘crazy' rhetoric, criticism of DC military parade
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., blasted his own party's more progressive wing while responding to protesters who booed his name during the 'No Kings Day' rally in Philadelphia. 'I'm not sure why Democrats would boo a fellow Democrat, but that's their prerogative,' he told 'America's Newsroom' Tuesday. The swing state Democrat, who has broken with his party on a number of issues in the past, went on to criticize many of his fellow party members' ire towards last weekend's military parade organized to commemorate 250 years of the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C. 'There was no goose-stepping, and… first of all, stop ever comparing anyone, anything, to the Nazis and those kinds of things. That's crazy,' he said. 'And now remember, that's our soldiers. This is not an occupying force, and this is the 250th anniversary of the Army. I'm not sure why it's outrageous to have a parade to celebrate the Army…. That's not anything extreme. It's celebrating a quarter of a millennia of the American Army. I don't understand why that's controversial.' 3 Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., talks to reporters outside the chamber during a vote at the Capitol in Washington, March 13, 2025. AP Fetterman also doubled down on his 'unapologetic' support for Israel in its tussle with Iran, breaking with some on the left, like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who introduced the 'No War Against Iran Act' to block U.S. military action without congressional approval. Fetterman, warning that Iran has 'nuclear ambitions' and that the U.S. cannot allow the terrorism-sponsoring nation to acquire a bomb, plans to 'vote that down.' 'I am always going to stand with Israel through this,' he said. 3 U.S. President Donald Trump salutes during the U.S. Army's 250th Birthday parade, on the same day of U.S. President Donald Trump 79th birthday, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 14, 2025. REUTERS 3 Members of the U.S. Army participate in the 250th birthday parade on June 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Getty Images 'Now, if I am an outlier and Democratic, I guess perhaps [I am]. I am unapologetically very pro-Israel…. [Iran has] Hamas and Hezbollah, so now let's hold them accountable for this.' Fetterman also broke ranks by saying he 'absolutely' supports efforts to remove criminal illegal immigrants from communities in larger cities he represents. 'Absolutely target the criminals that are here illegally and deport them… No one should be here illegally if they have a criminal record or are engaging in criminal behavior,' he said. He added the caveat that otherwise law-abiding 'hardworking migrants' should not be targeted.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Fetterman urges Trump to 'take out' Iran's nuclear sites
Democrat Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is divorcing himself from the rest of his party on a key foreign policy position. Fetterman passionately articulated his support for Israel amid its conflict with Iran, Tuesday, encouraging the United States to do all they can to assist its ally in the Middle East. During a Fox News appearance Tuesday, Fetterman called out Iran for harboring terrorists who have attacked Israel, while also urging the United States to stand by their strongest ally in the Middle East. 'Well, I think the reality is that you have a nation that just is in a position where they have to be held accountable for what they've done,' Fetterman noted. He added that he's the 'only one constantly calling' for Trump to use B-2 stealth bomber planes and 'gigantic bunker busters' and partner up with Israel to take out Iran's nuclear sites for good. Later on in the segment, Fetterman spoke to the caliber of the opportunity to stop Iran becoming even more aggressive and obtaining a nuclear weapon. 'Taking out Iran at this point is necessary if you ever have a chance to have any real peace in the Middle East,' Fetterman stated. 'I think it's a great start with the 30,000 pound bunker busters. I'd just keep dropping them until you can actually confirm what exactly happened to them,' he said. The senator added that Iran can 'never' be allowed acquire a nuclear weapon. America Reports host Bill Hemmer noted that Fetterman is the only Democrat urging the United States to get involved in Iran . 'All your Democratic colleagues aren't on board with you,' Hemmer stated. Independent Vermont Senator and past Democrat Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders wrote on X Monday that 'the US must not be dragged into another illegal Netanyahu war – either militarily or financially.' Sanders also fully put the full blame for starting the war squarely on the shoulders of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu. Fetterman has been one of the most vocal backers of of Israel in their war with Hamas , which has earned the ire of some of his Democrat colleagues who are more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. Ahead of the G7 Summit in Alberta, Canada Monday morning, Trump was asked by members of the media how intimately he and Netanyahu were working together. 'We've always supported Israel' Trump responded, later adding that 'Israel is doing very well right now.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also told Fox News host Brett Baier this weekend that Israeli intelligence has evidence to support that Iran was behind the assassination attempts on President Donald Trump in 2024. 'You just said Iran tried to assassinate President Trump twice. Do you have intel that the assassination attempts on President Trump were directly from Iran?' host Bret Baier pressed the Israeli Prime Minister. 'Through proxies, yes. Through - through their intel, yes. They want to kill him. Look, he's enemy number one. He's a decisive leader, ' Netanyahu replied. It was unclear if Netanyahu was referring to post-election attempts foiled by the FBI in November. Trump also survived attempts on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania in July last year, and at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September. The Daily Mail reported last year that Trump has been a target of Iran ever since the slaying of military leader Qasem Soleimani. During the campaign, Trump asked for military planes and a larger Secret Service detail to protect him from Iranian threats. In September 2024, Trump said he would blow Iran 'to smithereens' if he was back in the White House and there were attempts by Tehran.
