Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania made a stunning appearance at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas tonight, appearing by video to praise President Donald Trump’s efforts on behalf of the American steel industry, reject the left-wing direction of his own party, and introduce Republican Sen. Dave McCormick.

The highly unusual appearance by a sitting Democratic senator at a major Republican campaign gathering comes less than eight weeks before the November midterm elections and marks perhaps the most dramatic sign yet of Fetterman’s growing estrangement from the Democratic Party.

Fetterman appeared in a prerecorded video standing in front of a U.S. Steel facility in western Pennsylvania, wearing his trademark hoodie.

“Yes, I’m Senator John Fetterman, Pennsylvania. Yes, I’m a Democrat. Why am I here talking to you today? Because, well, I’m a common-sense Democrat,” Fetterman told the Republican gathering.

“I’m always going to stand with America. I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life,” he said.

Fetterman used the appearance to introduce McCormick, his Republican Senate colleague from Pennsylvania, whom he described as a friend despite their sharply different political affiliations.

“Dave McCormick is the kind of senator that gets the job done, and he’s going to fight for Pennsylvania. I’m proud to count him as my friend,” Fetterman said.

But it was Fetterman’s praise for cooperation with President Trump that made the appearance especially striking.

Pointing to the steel plant behind him, Fetterman said that he and McCormick would join forces with the President to protect one of Pennsylvania’s most iconic industries.

“We’ll work together and we’ll work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way right here in the Steel Valley,” Fetterman said.

When the video concluded and McCormick walked onto the convention stage, the Republican senator enthusiastically acknowledged his Democratic colleague.

“How great is John Fetterman, right?” McCormick said, thanking Fetterman for his “friendship” and “courage.”

Fetterman’s cameo was particularly remarkable because the two-day Dallas convention is not a bipartisan policy conference but a major Republican political event intended to rally GOP voters and candidates ahead of the November 3 elections. President Trump is the centerpiece of the gathering, which has informally been dubbed “Trumpapalooza.”

The convention is designed in large part to help Republicans defend their congressional majorities. The GOP currently holds a 53-47 advantage in the Senate, making Fetterman’s increasingly independent political posture particularly noteworthy as Democrats attempt to regain control of the chamber.

Fetterman’s appearance did not include an announcement that he was leaving the Democratic Party, and the Pennsylvania senator has repeatedly rejected speculation that he plans to become a Republican.

Nevertheless, Wednesday night’s move immediately intensified questions about Fetterman’s political future.

Once regarded as one of the Democratic Party’s more progressive figures, Fetterman has increasingly broken with Democrats on several of the most contentious issues facing Washington, particularly Israel, the war with Iran and immigration. He has also become an outspoken critic of what he regards as the extreme left flank of his party.

The divide has been especially pronounced over Israel. Fetterman has emerged as one of Israel’s most forceful supporters in the Senate and has frequently found himself at odds with Democrats who have become increasingly critical of the Jewish state.

In July, Fetterman went so far as to identify a circumstance under which he could leave the Democratic Party, saying that his “red line” would be if the party became “the anti-Israel party.”

Despite those clashes, Fetterman continues to vote overwhelmingly with Democrats and has insisted that he is not preparing to become a Republican.

“I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats,” Fetterman wrote earlier this year.

His political standing in Pennsylvania, however, has undergone an extraordinary reversal. A recent New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College poll found Fetterman viewed favorably by 79% of Pennsylvania Republicans, compared with just 21% of Democrats. Sixty-seven percent of Democrats viewed him unfavorably. Remarkably, Fetterman’s favorable rating among Republicans was higher than McCormick’s.

The relationship between Pennsylvania’s two senators has itself become increasingly unusual. Fetterman and McCormick have appeared together publicly and recently established a bipartisan fundraising committee, Common Ground PA, a move that generated criticism from Democrats.

Fetterman’s convention appearance centered largely on the steel industry and the controversial acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel.

Trump initially opposed the takeover but ultimately approved an arrangement after securing a series of commitments intended to protect American steel production and workers. The agreement included a U.S. “golden share” providing the federal government with special powers over certain corporate decisions.

Fetterman and McCormick have both emphasized preserving Pennsylvania’s steel industry despite their partisan differences, and Fetterman presented that cooperation Wednesday as an example of his willingness to work across party lines.

Still, appearing in a promotional video at a Republican convention represents a substantially different political step from cooperating with Republicans on legislation.

The episode drew immediate comparisons to Democratic Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia, who appeared at the 2004 Republican National Convention and delivered a blistering speech supporting President George W. Bush while attacking Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.

Fetterman stopped far short of endorsing Republican candidates generally or announcing a change in party affiliation. But his presence on the giant screens at a convention built around President Trump provided Republicans with one of the night’s most unexpected moments — a Democratic senator telling a Republican audience that he would reject “extremes and socialism” and work alongside Trump.

With the midterm elections less than two months away and control of Congress hanging in the balance, Fetterman’s surprise cameo is certain to further fuel one of Washington’s most persistent political questions: Just how much longer can one of the Senate’s most unconventional Democrats remain comfortable inside the Democratic Party?

{Matzav.com}