Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer publicly appealed to Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania to remain in the Democratic Party on Wednesday, praising him as a valued member of the caucus even as tensions continue to grow between Fetterman and the party’s progressive wing over Israel and other issues.

When asked whether he wants Fetterman to continue serving as a Democrat, Schumer replied, “Yes, and he is a very good member of Congress.”

Schumer also emphasized that the Democratic caucus embraces a broad range of viewpoints, saying, “People in our caucus very much like him and respect him and we’re a big-tent party. We can have a lot of different views in that party.”

His remarks came just days after Senate Majority Leader John Thune revealed that Republicans would gladly welcome Fetterman if he ever decided to leave the Democratic Party and join the GOP.

“Yes, we would welcome him,” Thune said, adding that he and other Republican senators have spoken with Fetterman about the difficulties he faces within his own party.

“I have had conversations with him in the past as have many of my colleagues about the challenges he faces in his caucus. And there are many of us who, I think, would welcome the opportunity to have him join the Republican conference but ultimately that’s a decision that’s up to him,” Thune told reporters.

Thune argued that Fetterman may ultimately find himself more politically aligned with Republicans, asserting that the Democratic Party is “moving further and further, more radically, to the more extreme left on a lot of issues.”

Earlier this month, Fetterman said at The Hill Nation Summit that unwavering support for Israel remains a defining principle for him and warned that he would leave the Democratic Party if it formally abandoned the Jewish state.

“If our party ever becomes — and just makes it official — the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me,” he warned.

Fetterman said he struggles to understand why many within his party have become increasingly hostile toward Israel despite the two nations sharing many democratic values.

“My long-term concern has been with the Democratic Party, as I am a member of that, is that our party is going to back away and turn their back to Israel,” he said.

A Quinnipiac University survey conducted earlier this month among 895 registered Pennsylvania voters found that Fetterman continues to enjoy positive overall job approval, with 48 percent approving of his performance and 41 percent disapproving.

The poll also highlighted a striking partisan divide. While 77 percent of Republicans said they approve of the job Fetterman is doing, 69 percent of Democrats said they disapprove of his performance.

The survey further found that a majority of Democrats—52 percent—said they would like to see Fetterman leave the Democratic Party, underscoring the widening divide between the senator and many members of his own political base.

{Matzav.com}