Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has single-handedly torpedoed at least four separate Democratic war powers resolutions since February, voting with Republicans to block his own party’s attempts to restrict President Trump’s military operations in Iran.
Now, with November’s midterms threatening to hand Democrats a razor-thin Senate majority, Fetterman’s maverick streak could deny progressives the control they’re banking on.
The numbers tell the story. Fetterman has appeared on Fox News 56 times since the beginning of 2026, mostly defending Israel, condemning Islamist terror, and criticizing progressive Democrats. He was the sole Democrat to vote against the first war powers resolution after the Iran war began, which failed 47-53 in March 2026. A May 13 vote he single-handedly defeated, 49-50.
Over five months, the Senate took up war powers questions at least a dozen times. Fetterman voted with Republicans against restricting the war nearly every time, including defeats on July 23 (47-49) and July 30 (49-50).
His record extends beyond procedural votes. Fetterman has supported Trump-favored initiatives and Trump nominees more frequently than any other Senate Democrat. His zealous backing of Israel’s ongoing operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran has put him squarely at odds with the progressive wing now ascendant in Democratic politics.
But a bare majority means nothing if one member won’t play along.
Fetterman’s open distaste for his left-wing colleagues has been on display for two years now. The freshman senator from Pennsylvania hasn’t hidden his contempt for the progressive class that’s upended the Democratic establishment. His fervent support for the Iran war puts him closer to the Trump administration than to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on foreign policy.
One June vote offered Democrats a rare symbolic victory when four Republican defections allowed a resolution to pass 50-48 despite Fetterman’s opposition. It marked the first time such a measure cleared both chambers. But by late July, with the tally past a dozen attempts, Fetterman remained the Democratic holdout.
Yet even if Democrats run the table, Fetterman stands ready to complicate their plans. In a narrowly controlled Democratic Senate, his support for Trump’s wars could continue killing his party’s efforts to wind down military operations. His willingness to cross the aisle on nominations and legislation makes him an unpredictable factor in any close vote.
For Republicans watching their Senate majority slip away, Fetterman represents something unexpected: a Democrat who might hand them victories even from the minority.
