Fact Check: Did John Fetterman ask Democrats to stop protecting Nancy Pelosi?

WASHINGTON, DC: A claim has been circulating on social media platforms that Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) has slammed Rep Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and asked Democrats to stop protecting her. The claim surfaced as Fetterman continues to clash with his own party members, sparking speculation and calls for a fact-check.

Claim: John Fetterman asked Democrats to stop covering for Nancy Pelosi

According to the viral claim, Fetterman has said that the time has come for his party to stop protecting Pelosi and start looking toward the future. 

“We have to stop pretending she’s not drunk all the time,” Fetterman said, according to the post. “And why is it so important to hide her involvement in January 6? Don’t the people deserve the truth?” 

“They really have no values left,” the senator allegedly said, expressing his frustration with his own party. 

The claim drew conflicting responses from online users, with many slamming Fetterman for his disagreements with fellow Democrats, while others appeared to support him, suggesting that many believe the claim to be true.

Fact Check: John Fetterman made no such remark

Although Fetterman has frequently broken ranks with Democrats, there have been no recent reports of him slamming the former House Speaker for her alleged involvement in the January 6 riots. 

There are also no official statements, interviews, social media posts, or announcements from the Senator that support the claim. A search on Google for the claim and the alleged remark yielded no credible news reports, which, if true will not go unreported.

Moreover, the viral post came from an X (formerly Twitter) account, which, though not explicitly a parody account, has posted similar fake and exaggerated claims, likely intended as satire, for the sake of engagement. Hence, the claim is rated as false.

John Fetterman's recent meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu

Fetterman has frequently made headlines for publicly clashing with his own party members. Following his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July, the senator declared, "I have no regrets," underscoring his widening split with the Democratic Party.  

Netanyahu reportedly told Fetterman, "You've been a stellar patriot, talking about what is good for America, what is good for our alliance, of which you've been a champion. You've been telling it like it is, with no fear, and just an indefatigable and courageous commitment to the truth"

"Mr Prime Minister, it was a supreme honor of my time here in the Senate," Fetterman said. "I'm proud to stand with and for the vision and what Israel is, the miracle that Israel is."