Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman debunked rumors that he planned to change his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican shortly after Donald Trump's inauguration.
Fetterman told Semafor that the suggestion, which circulated on social media on Monday, was “amateur hour s***.”
“If they think, 'Oh, it's going to be a Manchin or Sinema play,' that's just not true, and it's not going to happen,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman cited Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, respectively, who left the Democratic Party and became key swing votes.
“That's not going to happen,” he continued.
“And even if I wanted to do that, that's a rocket sled to Palookaville to try to transition. I would be a pretty bad Republican.”
His comments came after he invited backlash by wearing his signature hoodie and shorts to Trump's swearing-in ceremony, with some calling him a “disgrace” for his stripped-down look.
Rumors that Fetterman would switch to the Republican caucus were fueled by a series of recent positions the senator has taken to position himself as a political moderate.
This included his outspoken support for the Laken Riley Act, a hardline immigration order backed by Republicans, his support of the Israeli government and a recent trip to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump.
Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania debunked rumors that he planned to change his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, calling it “amateur hour s***.”
Rumors of Fetterman's move circulated on social media in the hours after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president
Fetterman's comments came after he provoked a backlash by wearing his signature hoodie and shorts to Trump's swearing-in ceremony
While Fetterman has been quick to dismiss rumors about his future, he has notably called on his party to change its approach to dealing with Trump after his landslide election victory.
He called on Democrats to keep an open mind about Trump's Cabinet nominees, and has repeatedly cited culture war debates as reasons why his party lost the election so decisively.
Shortly before his remarks to Semafor, Trump took the stage at the Capital One Arena for his presidential parade.
On stage, he declared “now the work begins” and immediately made good on his promise by signing an executive order to reverse former President Biden's presidential actions.
“You are now witnessing the dawn of America's golden age,” he declared to loud applause. “We won't tolerate that nonsense anymore.”
Trump turned his rally in a downtown Washington arena into a signing ceremony as he took up his pen and issued multiple executive actions to make major policy changes.
The president said he would sign a pardon at the White House and indicated that those convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot would be released Monday.
Donald Trump made good on his word that “the work begins now” as he immediately began signing executive orders as he took the stage at his inaugural parade in Washington
Trump turned his rally in a downtown Washington arena into a signing ceremony for executive actions his new administration is taking to make major policy changes
Trump has officially halted 78 Biden-era executive orders, announced a regulatory freeze that prevents bureaucrats from issuing regulations until the Trump administration has full control of the government, and a freeze on all federal hiring except military area and a few other essential areas.
He also ordered a requirement that federal employees return to full-time in-person work, a directive for every department and agency to address the cost of living, and announced the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Trump also signed a government order that restored freedom of speech and prevented censorship of free speech, and an order that ended the “government's weaponization of the previous administration's political opponents.”
Some of the orders he signed first included a Biden border bill, a regulatory freeze and a freeze on federal hiring.
The setup included a small desk, chair and microphone, where Trump sat to sign off on official actions.
JD Vance received a warm welcome when he arrived with his wife Usha and young children
Ivanka Trump gestures as she arrives at the Capital One Arena after President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in
He flashed his signature as he signed a first set of executive orders before throwing the pens into the crowd.
Trump declared during his indoor parade that he will sign pardons for “many people” convicted of the attack on the US Capitol, as the crowd cheered enthusiastically.
“We won, we won, but now the work begins,” Trump said at the start of his speech at the end of the parade in the packed Capitol One Arena in Washington, DC.
The president also attacked special counsel Jack Smith and complained about his investigation during his wide-ranging remarks.
The president said Biden pardoned his family members on Monday, one of his last acts as president. The crowd booed when the president said it happened while Trump was delivering his speech at the U.S. Capitol.