Trump to meet with Dem PA Sen Fetterman at Mar-a-Lago
“We are going to have a conversation.”
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“We are going to have a conversation.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) is set to be the first sitting Democratic US Senator to pay a visit to President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, according to a new report. This comes after Fetterman has taken more moderate positions with issues such as immigration.
Fetterman told CBS News when asked about the upcoming meeting, "That is the plan. Yes, we are going to have a conversation." Fetterman has also signaled his support for the GOP-supported Laken Riley Act, which 159 Democrats in the House voted against on Tuesday.
"I think that one, he's the president, or he will be officially," Fetterman explained. "And I think it's pretty reasonable that if the president would like to have a conversation — or invite someone to have a conversation — to have it. And no one is my gatekeeper."
The president-elect has been making inroads with some that many would not have considered during his first term in office. Such individuals have included Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos as well as Facebook founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, both of whom have made it over to Mar-a-Lago since Trump's election win.
"I've been very clear that I have ongoing conversations with people that are going to have an impact on Pennsylvania and for the nation. And I am a senator for Pennsylvania, not just for Democrats. I am a senator for everyone in Pennsylvania," Fetterman added in his comments to the outlet
The Laken Riley Act, which Fetterman cosponsored in the Senate, would give ICE the ability to detain illegal immigrants who commit crimes such as theft. Riley's murderer Jose Ibarra had previously been charged with theft before he killed the Georgia nursing student.
"We absolutely need to have a secure border, and I have always also been incredibly supportive and protective for Dreamers," Fetterman told reporters earlier this week. NBC News reports that the Laken Riley Act is likely to pass ahead of the official vote later on Thursday.
A spokesman for Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff (D) said he "supports the Laken Riley Act and plans to vote for it,” per the outlet. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) also reportedly plans to vote for the bill in the Senate. The bill has overwhelming GOP support and would need 60 votes to pass the Senate avoiding the obstacle of a filibuster.
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