Fetterman says Van Hollen as leader would be 'troubling,' hints he could leave party

Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said Saturday that he backs Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York to stay as the party's Senate leader. He also attacked Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who is challenging Schumer ¹.

Asked about Van Hollen, Fetterman said he would be troubled if Democrats chose him. He tied that to Van Hollen's record on Israel ³.

On tapeUSA TODAY · Nov 13

▶15:32

It would be troubling if my caucus elects someone like Van Hollen, that has made his name being very hostile to Israel.

Fetterman was then asked whether a leftward shift would make him leave the party. He answered, "Yeah, absolutely." The page that carries the exchange does not say which show it aired on, and the question was about the party's direction, not about Van Hollen by name ³. He has not said he is leaving.

Fetterman was blunter when a reporter asked where he stood. He said he would vote for Schumer and could not imagine why anyone would back Van Hollen ¹. He also called a challenge to Schumer "truly bizarre to me" and said Democrats should not argue among themselves ².

From Channel GOPLawmaker confronts Blanche with affidavit on pardoned January 6erChris Van Hollen · 487 plays · captioned, with the source named

A split caucus

Other Democrats are divided. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada back Schumer, as does independent Sen. Angus King of Maine ². Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, said he will vote for Van Hollen ².

Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan wants new leadership but has not endorsed Van Hollen ². Van Hollen said earlier this month that there should be no coronation of the next leader ⁴. Schumer says he has the votes to stay ².

On tapeWBAL-TV 11 Baltimore · Nov 13

▶0:56

What happens next

Democrats will hold a closed-door leadership election "next month," according to one report. It gave no exact date ². A party switch by Fetterman would matter only if the Senate were close.

Schumer's backers say he helped produce a 55-seat Democratic majority. They say it would be 56 if Democrat Mary Peltola wins the Alaska race, which had not been called ². Fetterman himself put the split at "56 and 44" ². That is a wider cushion than a narrow majority, so one departure would not by itself flip control.

Fetterman has a history here. He faces a 2028 Democratic primary challenge from Ahmed Moor, a Philadelphian and member of the Democratic Socialists of America ¹.

That matters because the leader sets the agenda. Democrats are about to take power and will decide which bills reach the floor. A public fight over who leads them, with a member hinting at an exit, hands Republicans an easy talking point.

The Record

1. Nov 3, 2026Democrats won the midterm elections and took control of the Senate; backers say the majority stands at 55 seats, or 56 if Peltola wins in Alaska ².
2. Nov 14, 2026Fetterman says he will vote for Schumer and calls electing Van Hollen 'troubling' ¹³.

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<h2>Fetterman says Van Hollen as leader would be &#39;troubling,&#39; hints he could leave party</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Capitol Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/fetterman-says-van-hollen-as-leader-would-be-troubling-hints-he-could-leave-party">The GOP Files</a> on Saturday, November 14, 2026.</em></p> <p>Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said Saturday that he backs Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York to stay as the party&#39;s Senate leader. He also attacked Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who is challenging Schumer .</p> <p>Asked about Van Hollen, Fetterman said he would be troubled if Democrats chose him. He tied that to Van Hollen&#39;s record on Israel .</p> <blockquote><p>It would be troubling if my caucus elects someone like Van Hollen, that has made his name being very hostile to Israel.</p><p>&mdash; John Fetterman, U.S. senator, Democrat-Pennsylvania</p></blockquote> <p>Fetterman was then asked whether a leftward shift would make him leave the party. He answered, &quot;Yeah, absolutely.&quot; The page that carries the exchange does not say which show it aired on, and the question was about the party&#39;s direction, not about Van Hollen by name . He has not said he is leaving.</p> <p>Fetterman was blunter when a reporter asked where he stood. He said he would vote for Schumer and could not imagine why anyone would back Van Hollen . He also called a challenge to Schumer &quot;truly bizarre to me&quot; and said Democrats should not argue among themselves .</p> <h2>A split caucus</h2> <p>Other Democrats are divided. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada back Schumer, as does independent Sen. Angus King of Maine . Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, said he will vote for Van Hollen .</p> <p>Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan wants new leadership but has not endorsed Van Hollen . Van Hollen said earlier this month that there should be no coronation of the next leader . Schumer says he has the votes to stay .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Democrats will hold a closed-door leadership election &quot;next month,&quot; according to one report. It gave no exact date . A party switch by Fetterman would matter only if the Senate were close.</p> <p>Schumer&#39;s backers say he helped produce a 55-seat Democratic majority. They say it would be 56 if Democrat Mary Peltola wins the Alaska race, which had not been called . Fetterman himself put the split at &quot;56 and 44&quot; . That is a wider cushion than a narrow majority, so one departure would not by itself flip control.</p> <p>Fetterman has a history here. He faces a 2028 Democratic primary challenge from Ahmed Moor, a Philadelphian and member of the Democratic Socialists of America .</p> <p>That matters because the leader sets the agenda. Democrats are about to take power and will decide which bills reach the floor. A public fight over who leads them, with a member hinting at an exit, hands Republicans an easy talking point.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/fetterman-says-van-hollen-as-leader-would-be-troubling-hints-he-could-leave-party">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/fetterman-says-van-hollen-as-leader-would-be-troubling-hints-he-could-leave-party.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Tampa Free Press, “Pennsylvania Sen. Fetterman Backs Schumer For Majority Leader, Rips "No Record Of Doing Anything" Van Hollen” (2026-11-14). tampafp.com/pennsylvania-sen-fetterman-backs-schumer-for-maj
2. Yahoo News, “Schumer vs. Van Hollen: Who are Senate Democrats supporting for leader?” (2026-11-14). yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/schumer-vs-van-hollen-senat
3. Townhall, “John Fetterman Isn't Too Happy With Chris Van Hollen's Senate Leadership Bid” (2026-11-14). townhall.com/news/josephchalfant/2026/11/14/senate-democrats
4. Newsweek, “Chuck Schumer, Chris Van Hollen Senate majority leader challenge” (2026-11-10). newsweek.com/chuck-schumer-chris-van-hollen-senate-majority-

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