Fact Check: Did Fetterman defect to GOP after Mamdani and AOC were seen giggling at 9/11 event?

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Amid the backlash after Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were seen giggling at the 9/11 Ground Zero event, a rumor surfaced online claiming that Senator John Fetterman has defected to the Republican Party. The claim has sparked speculation and concerns among online users, who are questioning its authenticity.

Claim: John Fetterman defected to the Republican Party

According to a viral Facebook post, Fetterman is officially done after seeing Mamdani show up at Ground Zero for a good laugh with Ocasio-Cortez, stating, “This is the future of my party? No thanks. I’ve had enough of their plans for communism.”

The post was accompanied by an article that alleged that Fetterman delivered a “Democrat Playbook” containing the party’s “secret plans for communism” to the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington. 

The playbook allegedly contains the party’s plans to “seize all private property,” “outlaw meat,” and “replace the Constitution.” Fetterman allegedly told RNC officials that he “couldn’t participate in the destruction of America anymore” and that “the hoodie was just a disguise all along.”

While many appeared to believe the claim, few questioned its authenticity or called for a fact-check.

Fact Check: The claim originated from a parody account

Although Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez were caught in a light-hearted moment during the September 11 25th Anniversary event at Ground Zero, which many slammed as inappropriate, no reports of Fetterman slamming it, nor is there any evidence that he defected to the Republican Party.

If the claim were true, given the controversy surrounding Mamdani and AOC at Friday’s event and Fetterman’s conflict with his own party, it would not go unreported by prominent news outlets.

Moreover, the post includes overlay text in its bottom corner stating, ‘The Dunning-Kruger Times,’ an online satirical newspaper. Hence, the claim was intended as parody.

Zohran Mamdani and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez face backlash over 9/11 ceremony

Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez sparked controversy after they were seen smiling and giggling together as the solemn tribute of reading the victims’ names unfolded at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

The two Democratic politicians were seen sharing what appeared to be a lighthearted exchange, while the victims’ families could be seen crying as the names of their loved ones were announced. 

The footage triggered a wave of criticism from Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators, who accused the two of behaving inappropriately during the solemn remembrance.