Exclusive: Fetterman to praise Trump in bombshell GOP convention video

DALLAS — Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) is preparing to make a bombshell appearance Wednesday night at the GOP convention, in a video praising President Trump and Republican Sen. Dave McCormick for helping America's steel industry, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Fetterman's stunning turn — a Democratic senator in a supporting role at the GOP's showcase campaign event, fewer than eight weeks before the Nov. 3 midterms — marks a dramatic escalation in Fetterman's growing estrangement from his party.

• Fetterman isn't expected to announce that he's switching parties, sources tell Axios. But he is going to distance himself from socialism in the Democratic Party's left wing, sources familiar with the situation said.
• Democrats are certain to see the cameo as political mutiny — and it will supercharge questions about whether he'll ultimately leave the Democratic Party before he's up for reelection in 2028.
• It's also a major coup for Trump, who has long reveled at the idea of winning over former Democrats to his side.
• If Fetterman were to eventually switch parties, it would make Democrats' uphill battle to take control of the Senate much more difficult. They currently need to flip four seats, including some in red states, to win a majority.

Behind the scenes: Fetterman will make the remarks while introducing McCormick, who also represents Pennsylvania, sources said. McCormick helped arrange Fetterman's appearance, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

• McCormick has courted and been friendly with Fetterman for months.

The big picture: Fetterman, a first-term Democrat, has become deeply unpopular with voters in his party — including his constituents in Pennsylvania — as he has increasingly warmed to Trump. He's praised the president's defense of Israel at a time when many Democrats — and some Republicans — have criticized Israel's actions in Gaza.

• At the same time, Fetterman has won a following among Republicans who have relished his willingness to take on members of his own team.

Fetterman is actually seen more favorably by Republicans in his state than McCormick, a recent poll by the New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena University found.

• The reversal in support has left Fetterman with few political options. Many operatives from both parties in Pennsylvania tell Axios that he has no path to surviving a Democratic primary in 2028.
• Fetterman hasn't said whether he'll seek reelection, and several prominent Pennsylvania Democrats already are plotting potential challenges.

The intrigue: Fetterman laid out the circumstances under which he would leave the Democratic Party in July, saying his red line was if it became "the anti-Israel party."

• "I'm never changing my party," Fetterman said then — except for "that one condition."
• About the same time, he formed a joint fundraising committee with McCormick, an extraordinarily unusual arrangement for two senators from opposing parties.
• Republican leaders have worked to cultivate Fetterman as his relationships with Democratic officials have deteriorated.

Friction point: Fetterman's ties to the Democratic Party have steadily worsened since 2024, with Israel and his friendliness to Trump the sharpest points of disagreement.

• Fetterman has remained one of Israel's most outspoken Democratic defenders, even as his party has grown increasingly critical of the country because of its military's actions in Gaza. In April, he opposed two measures to block weapons sales to Israel that were supported by most Senate Democrats.
• He also emerged as one of Trump's most prominent Democratic backers during the war with Iran, repeatedly breaking with members of his party who sought to restrict the president's war powers.
• The tensions extend beyond foreign policy. Fetterman voted to advance now-Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin's nomination, drawing intense criticism from Democrats.

Tensions exploded again last week, after a Wall Street Journal investigation detailed allegations that Fetterman was uninterested in many of the day-to-day responsibilities of being a senator while devoting significant attention to Israel and conservative media appearances. Fetterman has disputed the report.

• "John Fetterman is a disgrace," Pennsylvania Rep. Brendan Boyle posted on X.
• Other Pennsylvania Democrats also publicly raised the prospect of defeating Fetterman if he seeks reelection.

What they're saying: Axios is seeking comment from Fetterman.

Flashback: Fetterman's cameo would echo then-Democratic Sen. Zell Miller's appearance at the 2004 Republican National Convention, where he endorsed President George W. Bush's reelection campaign and attacked his own party over national security in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Axios' Marc Caputo contributed to this story.