Senator Fetterman denies he's 'a progressive,' just 'very committed' to abortion, defending Israel

Senator John Fetterman is making clear he'll never be part of The Squad.

The Pennsylvania Democrat with ties to self-proclaimed socialist Bernie Sanders, his independent colleague in the upper chamber, is blazing a trail of "blue-collar liberalism, with a dash of outsider populism," frustrating some in his party, according to NBC News, which dubbed him a "maverick."

"I’m not a progressive," Fetterman told the network, just "a Democrat that is very committed to choice," meaning abortion rights. He said he'll be "on the right side" of Israel's war against Hamas by supporting an aid package for the Middle East's only democracy.

Fetterman denied that he was anti-immigration by supporting restrictions on those flooding across the southern border, a figure he pegged at 270,000 [for the month of September], "essentially the size of Pittsburgh." He said immigration is "something near and dear to me."

He mocked his scandal-plagued Democratic colleague Robert Menendez of New Jersey, whose bribery indictment says four gold bars were found in Menendez's home that were linked to an armed robbery report by his alleged co-conspirator.

Referring to Menendez's anger at President Biden for "considering selling out migrants and asylum seekers" in negotiations with Republicans, Fetterman said: "What a guy. He’s still running his mouth against Biden right now.”

Fetterman, who supports the Senate's removal of Menendez, said "I’m sure there might be a very innocent explanation of having gold bars in your mattress and overstuffed envelopes of cash."