Sen. John Fetterman slams Democratic Party for 'anarchy' in LA

Emily Bloch, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Jun 10, 2025

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U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has criticized the protests in Los Angeles, calling the scene “true chaos.”

It’s the latest chapter for the senator, whose alienation from the rest of his party is a common talking point, which began unfolding Monday night when he posted a statement on X about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and political unrest happening in California.

“I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration — but this is not that,“ Fetterman wrote.

His post was accompanied by a photo taken on Sunday and published by Getty of a protester waving a Mexican flag on top of a smoking car alongside several other cars on fire. ”This is anarchy and true chaos," Fetterman wrote.

California officials have been pushing back on claims like Fetterman’s. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the protests, which began Friday, have been primarily peaceful with some isolated incidents of violence or civil disobedience.

A lawsuit filed Monday by the state against President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claims White House officials wrongfully deployed the National Guard without consulting with Newsom first in an effort to stoke fear.

“This is a manufactured crisis to allow (Trump) to take over a state militia, damaging the very foundation of our republic,” Newsom said in a statement on the lawsuit. “Every governor, red or blue, should reject this outrageous overreach.”

Critics have also referenced incidents of violence that appeared to be instigated by law enforcement officials, who wore riot gear and deployed flash bangs and projectiles into the crowd. An officer could be seen in video footage aiming and firing a rubber bullet at an Australian reporter from behind at close range.

Still, Fetterman directed his criticisms Monday night toward fellow Democrats.

“My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement,” he wrote on X.

Several Democratic leaders, including Bass, Newsom, and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., had condemned the violence at the time of Fetterman’s post, which has been viewed more than 7 million times. Still, Fetterman doubled down Tuesday morning telling CNN anchor Manu Raju that outrage “never means that you can support or be quiet if there’s destruction or rioting.”

Fetterman’s statement has earned pushback from some who say Democrats aren’t condoning rioting and that he is focusing on the wrong problems as ICE raids in support of Trump’s immigration crackdown continue.

In recent years, the senator has consistently broken away from his party members’ viewpoints, often aligning himself with GOP principles and even with Trump himself.

In January, Fetterman was the lone Senate Democrat to co-sponsor a Republican-led bill requiring federal authorities to detain undocumented immigrants arrested for theft-related crimes.

Critics said it was a notable shift from Fetterman’s early Senate campaign messaging, where he advocated for immigrants, especially “Dreamers,” like his wife Gisele, who immigrated from Brazil when she was 7. Her family, all of them undocumented, lived in a one-room apartment in New York City, a story both Fettermans told on the campaign trail.

As previously noted by The Philadelphia Inquirer, while Fetterman has reiterated his support for Dreamers in recent months, he’s also called for stronger border security and stricter penalties for undocumented immigrants who commit crimes.

Jasmine Rivera, executive director of the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition, said at the time that Fetterman was ”turning his back on the immigrant community” by supporting the bill.

Fetterman’s latest criticism aligns with Trump and other Republicans who have been consistently bashing protests and unrest sparked by the recent ICE raids. Over the weekend, Trump used the violence as justification for his decision to undermine Newsom’s authority, deploying the National Guard.

Some Democrats say comments like Fetterman’s are fanning the flames for more “authoritarian” action from the White House. Others, like New York Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said “everyone is entitled to their opinion.”

Fetterman has also been met with praise for his comments — Elon Musk, whose own relationship with President Donald Trump is on rocky footing, replied to the senator’s post with an American flag emoji.

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