Josh Shapiro tells John Fetterman to ‘get back to what he was elected to do’

WASHINGTON, DC: Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro publicly criticized Senator John Fetterman, saying he needs to “get back to what he was elected to do” as tensions within the Democratic Party continue to surface over Fetterman’s recent positions and public comments.

Shapiro’s remarks mark one of the clearest signs yet of friction between two of Pennsylvania’s most prominent Democrats. Speaking about Fetterman’s political direction, Shapiro suggested the senator should focus more closely on representing the priorities of the voters who elected him.

Josh Shapiro urges John Fetterman to ‘reflect the will of the people’

During his comments, Shapiro said elected officials have a responsibility to “reflect the will of the people” and indicated that Fetterman should return attention to the issues central to his original campaign.

While speaking on CNN this week, Shapiro, another rumored 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, appeared exasperated about Fetterman amid reports that he is receiving pressure to jump ship on the party.

"Look, I don’t know what Sen. Fetterman is going to do," he told CNN’s Jake Tapper.

"I know that Pennsylvanians voted for a Democrat to represent them in the United States Senate."

"So, I think he needs to honor that and continue with his service to Pennsylvania, and, hopefully, get back to what he was elected to do and reflect the will of the people," he added.

Fetterman has at times broken with fellow Democrats in recent months, drawing both praise and criticism for taking positions that differ from many members of his party.

Growing divide draws attention inside Pennsylvania politics

The dynamic between Shapiro and Fetterman has long attracted attention within Pennsylvania politics.

Fetterman’s relationship with Shapiro has cooled since his election.

The senator wrote in his book, 'Unfettered,' released last November, that he and Shapiro "no longer speak" with one another. He wrote that the relationship deteriorated into an "ugliness" from which "we have never recovered."

Fetterman has ignited much controversy by supporting elements of President Donald Trump’s agenda. Fetterman is one of just six Democratic senators hailing from states that Trump won in 2024. 

He was the only Democrat to vote to advance Trump’s new pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, former Sen. Markwayne Mullin.

Fetterman broke with Democrats to reopen the government during a lengthy government shutdown fight last year, saying his vote was a matter of “country over party.”

On a recent episode of the 'Talk Easy' podcast with Sam Fragoso, Shapiro asserted, "I’ve got no beef with John" but said, "John’s got a lot of questions that I think he needs to answer for the people of Pennsylvania."

"I think there’s a lot of people who want to know kind of what happened, why he does some of the things he does," he continued.