Tangle - The latest on John Fetterman.

Episode Date: September 10, 2026

On Wednesday, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) appeared via video at the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention, reiterating his opposition to socialism and praising Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA). Fetterman has frequently criticized the Democratic Party’s embrace of democratic socialism and anti-Israel rhetoric, leading to speculation that he could switch parties or become an independent.Ad-free podcasts are here!Get 20% off your first year of ad-free episodes, exclusive interviews, and deep dives with Tangle’s podcast membership!Suspension of the Rules.This week’s edition of Suspension of the Rules is a little different, as Isaac, Ari, and Kmele have an in-person discussion from the Tangle team retreat in Maine. The conversation focused on two very different anniversaries: 25 years since the 9/11 attacks, and seven years since the founding of Tangle. What’s changed in the years since the attacks, and what keeps Isaac coming back to Tangle day after day? Check it out here.What happened to al-Qaeda?This Friday marks 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Ahead of the anniversary, The Atlantic’s Graeme Wood published a detailed report on the attack’s impact on the Middle East and the state of al-Qaeda. Senior Editor Will Kaback spoke with Wood about the surprising information we’ve learned about Osama bin Laden’s motivations, why al-Qaeda has faltered, and whether U.S. policy has addressed the threat of future attacks. You can listen to the interview here.You can read today's podcast⁠ ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ and today’s “Under the radar” story ⁠here⁠ and today’s “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Take the survey: Will Fetterman leave the Democratic Party? Let us know. Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast written by: Isaac Saul and audio engineered and edited by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75.Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Bailey Saul, Audrey Moorehead, and Carina Pacheco. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From executive producer Isaac Saul, this is Tangle. Morning and good afternoon and good evening and welcome to the Tangle podcast, a place we get views from across the political spectrum, some independent thinking and a little bit of my take. I'm your host, Isaac Saul, and it is Thursday morning. I wrote today's podcast sitting at a giant cafeteria table surrounded by the Tangle team in the woods of Maine. It's incredible to be here with everybody in person. always invigorating to just be exchanging ideas, arguing, debating with this group outside the confines of Slack. This week has been no different. And today we are very excited to be diving in to John Fetterman's peculiar RNC appearance,

which had a bunch of news leading up to it. We watched it as a group last night. We all were like, whoa, there's our story for tomorrow. We also have a reader question about Russia oil sanctions and a Treasury Department announcement to buy back the debt. Plus, on suspension of the rules, Ari Camille and I recorded an in-person podcast ruminating on the 25th anniversary of September 11th and the seventh anniversary of Tangle. There is a lot to cover.

Highly encourage you to go check out that suspension of the rules podcast. You can watch it on YouTube in our little main cabin where we're staying. It was a fun recording session in person, which we don't get to do very often. And we talked about a lot. of stuff related to 9-11 and also just thinking about

Tangle and this mission and this political moment and whether what we're doing is making a difference or not. And I thought it got pretty insightful and deep and interesting and a little vulnerable and fun and yeah, it's worth to listen, I think.

It's a unique episode. So with that, I'm going to hand it over to Audrey Moorhead, one of our editors who's on the mic with me today and I'll be back for my take. Thanks, Isaac. First up, we have today's quick hits. Number one, President Donald Trump delivered a keynote address at the Republican Party's midterm convention, touting his administration's record and saying that he will issue $5,000

dividends to every U.S. adult if Republicans retained control of the House and Senate in the November elections. Number two. The U.S. military struck several Iranian oil tankers after Iran fired missiles at a U.S. warship, causing global oil prices to rise above $100 a barrel for the first time since July. Number three, temporary protected status for Salvador and nationals in the United States expired, but the Department of Homeland Security said that it will not take immediate action to initiate removal proceedings and will allow work authorizations to remain in effect.

Number four. President Trump signed an executive order banning the import of most alcoholic beverages and some dairy products and motorcycles from Canada amid an escalating trade dispute between the countries. Number five, the Supreme Court blocked a Missouri congressional map drawn to benefit Republicans from going into effect for the 26 midterms. No justices dissented from the decision. Yes, I'm Senator John Federman, Pennsylvania. Yes, I'm a Democrat. Why am I here talking to you today?

Because, well, I'm a common sense Democrat. I'm always going to stand with America. I'm always going to reject the extremes in socialism and that anti-American way of life. Dave McCormick is the kind of senator that gets the job done, and he's going to fight for Pennsylvania. I'm proud to count him as my friend. Right back over my shoulder, that's the iconic U.S. Steel Mill.

And that's exactly the kind of thing that will work together and will work with President Trump to fight and defend the Steel Way of Life right here in the Steel Valley. On Wednesday, Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman appeared via video at the Republican Party's first ever midterm convention, praising Republican Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick and reiterating his opposition to socialism. Federman has frequently criticized the Democratic Party's embrace of Democratic socialism

and anti-Israel rhetoric, leading to speculation that he could switch parties or become an independent. For more context, in Pennsylvania's 22 Senate election, Fetterman defeated now Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz on a platform of eliminating the filibuster, raising the minimum wage and codifying abortion rights. Vetterman suffered a stroke during the campaign and spent three months recovering. Shortly after joining the Senate, he was hospitalized with clinical depression for a month

and a half, rejoining the chamber in April 2023. Federman has been an outspoken advocate for Israel, particularly in defense of its military response to Hamas's October 7th attacks. He also has decried Democratic politicians' criticism of the country, saying in July that he would only lead to Democratic Party. if it became the anti-Israel party. Additionally, Federman has broadly backed U.S. military operations in Iran, repeatedly voting against war powers resolutions

to restrict President Donald Trump's authority in the conflict. Separately, recent reporting has highlighted staff turnover within Federman's office and questions about his constituent services. Citing the Senators' former staff members, the Wall Street Journal reported last week that he is withdrawn from public commitments and frequently skip Senate votes while showing increased interest in appearing on conservative media programs.

Betterman said the report was stripped of any context and circumstance, and based on lies, half-truths, innuendos, and smears from disgruntled staffers. In his pre-recorded video for Wednesday's GOP convention, Federman called himself a common-sense Democrat who will always stand with America. In a statement afterward, he emphasized that he intends to remain in the party and fulfill his campaign promise of being Democrats' 51st vote in the Senate. An August New York Times Philadelphia Inquirer, Siena poll, found that 22 percent of the state's registered, Democratic voters view him favorably, while 73% of Republicans do. Last week, former Democratic representative, Connor Lamb, of Pennsylvania, called on the senator to resign, and Representative Brendan Boyle, a Democrat of Pennsylvania, said that Federman is a disgrace,

adding, our state deserves better than a lazy trust fund baby who is too lazy to do the job. Meanwhile, Senator McCormick thanked Federman for his support and said, we were both sent to Washington to fight for what's best for Pennsylvania. Today, you'll hear from the right and left about Federman's future. Then executive editor Isaac Saul will give his take. We'll be right back after this quick break. First up, what the right is saying. Many on the right say Democrats are attacking Federman because he challenges party orthodoxy.

Some argue the senator should switch parties. Others suggest Federman could complicate the post-midterm's picture. The Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote, Democrats want John Federman on a pike. Sources who declined to be identified say Fetterman neglects semi-official duties such as constituent meetings, committee hearings and public funerals,

but that he appears on cable news shows with regularity, including Mortal Sin Fox News. Mr. Fetterman's real offense is political. He's a consistent progressive on taxes, health care, climate, guns, social issues, and much else. But he vocally supports Israel in its war against Hamas and Hezbollah, backs President Trump's war in Iran, and rejects such progressive left follies as abolishing immigration and customs enforcement and defunding the police.

Such heterodoxy probably benefits Democrats by making their party seem less crazy. A lot of things he gets. His Democratic colleagues evidently want to ruin him. Democrats will feign indignation about poor office behavior, but what anchors them is his occasional votes with Republicans, his refusal to indulge in hysteria about Mr. Trump, and especially especially his unapologetic support for Israel. This is intolerable in today's Democratic Party. In the Washington Examiner, Zachary Faria argued, by 2028,

Federman can be a Democrat or a senator, but not both. Federman will almost certainly face some socialist-affiliated candidate in 2008. He or she will call Federman a closet Republican and accuse him of supporting the genocide of Palestinians, and with Federman's low scores among Democratic voters, he will lose, regardless of how much help Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer,

provides him. That leads Fetterman with two options going forward. The one he insists on holding two thus far is going down with the ship, accepting the fight in the Democratic Party and as a result being out of office by January 29. Or Fetterman could jump ship and join the Republican Party, an idea that has been discussed louder in political circles as 2028 approaches. He is already extremely popular among Republicans, and a double-digit favorability among independence means he would be the heavy favorite to beat anyone of either party in a general election. If he wants to choose the latter, he is running out of time. Republicans like him as a Democrat, but the standards change if he becomes a Republican.

He would have GOP goodwill, but he would need to polish some Republican credentials as well. In the American conservative, Spencer Neal discussed the GOP's John Federman Wildcard. As November heaves into view, Democratic capture of the Senate, an idea that seemed implausible at the beginning of this year, is also firmly in play. There is, as it turns out, an interesting wrinkle. If Democrats win with a razor-thin majority, there might be one man capable of denying them actual control, John Fetterman. Fetterman has been a fervent supporter of the Iran War, for example, and a constant critic of his Democratic colleagues on foreign policy. The freshman senator from Pennsylvania has appeared on Fox News 56 times since the beginning of 2026, mostly to talk up Israel, lambast Islamist terror, and decry

progressive Democrats. Democrats don't even control the Senate right now, yet Fetterman has single-handedly sunk Iran-war powers votes at least four separate times since February. In a Senate under narrow Democratic control, Fetterman's support for Trump's wars could continue to kill his party's efforts to wind these up. After his humble beginning as a Bernie-brough-style populist, Fetterman has merrily morphed into a dino or Democrat in name only. Even if things go swimmingly in the midterms, Democrats could wake up in January with a majority in name but not in fact, all thanks to John Federman. Next up, what the left is saying.

The left is critical of Federman saying he is deceived as voters. Some suggest the party should ignore the senator. Others argue Federman leaving the Democratic Party would be a net positive. The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board detailed what John Federman forgot about his U.S. Senate seat. Federman's supporters do deserve to be dismayed. at their increasingly right-leaning senior senators self-indulgent recent threats to leave the Democratic Party entirely. Federman won a competitive race as a Democrat thanks to voters who believed in him and his politics, even after a stroke forced him off the campaign trail for months.

Federman is making a very inside-the-beltway mistake. Judging by his willingness to change his positions and party at a whim, he seems to think the Senate seat belongs to him rather than the people he represents. Despite Federman's proclaimed moral clarity on Israel, he often speaks of his grievance. with his fellow partisans and his appreciation for Trump in political rather than policy terms. He is groused about the repercussions of left-leaning Democrats' positions for swing-state politicians like him, enthused about Trump's sheer political talent, and lamented the electoral fate of Democrat Bob Casey, his former Senate colleague. Maybe the senator's red shift is motivated less by foreign

policy than by an impulse to keep his job, even if it means betraying his voters. In USA Today, Chris Brennan wrote, Democrats have a Federman problem, Or do they? For more than a decade, Federman mostly provoked anger among Republicans. But now, like a professional wrestler after a heel turn, Federman has his own party frothing as he coeses up to President Donald Trump. Do Democrats have a Federman problem? And if so, what, if anything, should the party do about it? Here's an idea. Let Federman be Federman.

Don't bite his outrage bait. Focus on the midterms, pay him no attention at all. Federman has a problem. His 2022 campaign was fueled by millions of dollars in small donor campaign contributions from progressives who embraced his populism. That base has walked away, and those voters are not coming back. No wonder he feels a kinship with Trump, who has left parts of his magabase feeling infuriated and betrayed by the very actions Fetterman supports. Still, Federman works in Washington, and there are always other buckets of money. That might explain why

Federman has broken with Democratic colleagues on developments in artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies. In MS now, Zishon Aleem said good riddance to Federman. Federman did not say whether he would become an independent or join the Republican Party if he were to leave. But his departure from the party, in order to support Israel, would still be a remarkable development for a politician who was once widely, and in my opinion, misguidedly, hailed as an exciting exemplar of populist progressivism. His threat of an exit also reflects how quickly the Democratic Party is reorienting on Israel policy and growing less hospitable to those who advocate for backing the country's government unconditionally. losing a lawmaker in a battleground state would deal a blow to Democrats,

who already have to fight tooth and nail for razor-thin majorities in the Senate. Regardless, Federman's warning foreshadows a tectonic shift on the electoral left and a positive one. Ultimately, it will be best for the left to Federman, who seems to spend more time on Fox News by the day, is replaced by a progressive in Pennsylvania. The Democratic Party cannot reestablish moral authority unless, at a minimum, it looks to put an end to backing Israeli domination of Gaza and observing human beings. rides with consistency. That's it for the right and the left. Now I'll pass it back to Isaac for his take. All right, that is it for the left and the writer saying, which brings us to my take. On paper,

John Fetterman just delivered so much of what I dream of. Here we have a Democratic politician showing up the Republican National Convention with a simple message. My Republican counterpart is good at his job. He is worthy of office. I don't hate him. In fact, we're friends. And he delivers for his constituents. I'll work with the Republican president because I love America and I want to get things done for my state, and it doesn't matter that I have a D next to my name, and they have ours next to theirs. Is this the return to decency I've been predicting? A politician who can win widespread support from the other party? A senator in an actually competitive swing state not afraid to cross party lines? My heart? Well, not quite. In reality, everything about Federman

actions is perplexing, if not frustrating to me. What really happened, it seemed, is a politician ran on one set of issues and then, in one of the most peculiar turns I can remember, became singularly focused on something that has nothing to do with any of them. Federman, you'll remember, campaigned in 2022 as a kind of working class, every man. The hoodie-wearing jean short, rocking townie from Braddock, Pennsylvania reminded me of so many friends I grew up with in Bucks County or went to college within. in Pittsburgh. He exuded Pennsylvania. He felt authentic. His politics were progressive, yes, but he didn't rely on academic jargon. Instead, he connected his beliefs to his experience

growing up in a Pennsylvania town that have been hollowed out and destroyed the way so many others had. It's hard to remember now, but these were his 2022 campaign priorities. A minimum wage increase, marijuana legalization, health care access, criminal justice reform, voting access, and a compassionate immigration system. He built an entire identity around his proximity to union working class jobs, and he repeatedly signaled that he would focus on what mattered to workers across Pennsylvania, who felt like Washington, D.C. had left them behind. He was a new age, Pennsylvaniaan Bernie Bro. Of course, Fetterman's campaign was upended by his stroke, which occurred just before the Democratic primary. And honestly, nothing has quite felt the same since. As his speech

and physical effect diminished, his health became the story. Could Federman still do the job? Then, as he slowly rehabilitated, another story took hold, his clinical depression. In February of 2023, he stepped away from the Senate to receive inpatient treatment for depression, leading to another round of questions about the senator's fitness for office. And then, October 7 happened. Since Hamas attacked Israel in 2023, Federman has made Israel policy one of his top issues. He talks about Israel constantly, and he said or applied on multiple occasions that he would leave the Democratic Party if it became anti-Israel, which he's at times defined as the National Party platform, including funding cuts to military support for Israel.

Fetterman is a genuine enigma these days. Interpreting his worldview became harder after his stroke, which damaged his ability to speak and navigate interviews and sometimes makes him difficult to decipher, especially when the conversations include quick. back and forths. But he certainly seemed to articulate a worldview when John Stewart pressed Fetterman about his comments on Israel. Israel was his red line. He could agree with a politician on a whole host of economic issues like increasing the social safety net or helping labor rest capital back from corporations, but if they disagreed on Israel, then he didn't want them in his party. Stuart, appropriately, in my view, expressed some shock at this. How could this guy who ran on such working-class progressive bona fides now tell his constituents that he didn't want people in his party who disagreed with him on one specific foreign policy question, one that didn't even exist when he was on the campaign

trail. It seemed like a very bizarre line to draw. Then, of course, the Wall Street Journal ran its expose. In a deeply sourced exclusive, the journal reported that Federman has seemed uninterested in the work of being a senator, instead becoming preoccupied with cultivating media relationships and publicly advocating for Israel. They came with receipts. Tax messages between Federman and staffers, constituents recounting their experiences trying to meet him, and a lot of off-the-record comments

from people who worked for him or had been in his office. In just one of many jarring examples, Federman refused to meet with a state lawmaker who wanted to discuss programs for the homeless and working poor. Later that day, he met with former college basketball coach Bruce Pearl, an outspoken Israel advocate to discuss college sports legislation. When the Senate ledger started logging his absences from hearings and votes, he adopted a new strategy to drop into Senate hearings or votes just long enough to be marked as present before slipping away.

And it all led up to last night. In a heavily edited video address at the Republican National Committee gathering in Dallas, Texas, Federman appeared on screen to introduce and endorse his Republican counterpart, Senator Dave McCormick. While Pennsylvania does not have a Senate race this year, it was still rather shocking in a midterm election where Democrats have a real chance to take back the Senate. Standing in front of an old U.S. steel mill, he told the audience that McCormick is the kind of senator

that gets the job done before promising to work with President Trump to revitalize manufacturing in Pennsylvania. Again, it's all just odd. I'm not exactly sure what Federman's end goal is, but I certainly don't think his appearance can be reduced to a simple belief in bipartisanship or support of Trump's or McCormick's performance.

After all, the Trump administration has leveled a full-on assault of nearly every priority of Federman's party, including many of the ones he personally advocated for as a candidate. At the same time, manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania, the very thing Federman appeared on screen to stump for have continued to decline. The simplest theory is probably the most likely. Federman is being radicalized by negative polarization.

He took a hardline pro-Israel stance immediately after October, which is understandable since Israel, our ally, had just suffered a 9-11-like event. That stance then drew the ire of the party's left wing, which made him dig in. So the progressive left dug in and a whole other war began. Three years later, the volley of negative polarization has run so many cycles that it seems to have reduced him to a single issue. He's learned that the more he aligns himself with Republicans or reaches across the aisle, the angrier the left gets and the more attention he gets, so he just keeps pressing that button. If you want my theory, that's it.

Still, I'll allow for the possibility that Federman is motivated by a desire to model and act on bipartisanship. After all, he still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats and he continues to assure his party that he will never become a Republican. He released his statement making that assurance again shortly after his RNC appearance. Maybe he's just reaching across the aisle to build bridges, not to poke the left in the eye. What's the harm in praising his Republican counterpart? Why does it matter so much if he says, I support Israel unequivocally and tries to pull his party toward him on that issue? Is any of this all that big of a deal? But it's a story so simple, I don't think I buy it. Paired with reporting about his obsession with media appearances and

indifference to constituent services, he comes across much less as a bipartisan warrior than is a guy who has taken his eye off the ball and isn't interested in doing the job of being a senator. To me, he looks less like a Democrat willing to see the good in Republicans than a Democrat who is reveling in his own intra-party squabbling and someone who has forgotten the promises he made to the Pennsylvanians who elected it. We'll be right back after this quick break. All right, that is it for my take, which brings us to your questions answered. This one's from Jonathan in Omaha, Nebraska, who said,

can you give an update on Russian oil sanctions? I've heard that they've been lifted to help with the oil squeeze in Iran and Hormuz. Okay, so after the war began, and Iran constricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the United States announced that it would waive sanctions on Russian oil for a period of 30 days, beginning on March 12th. This waiver allowed countries to purchase oil on Russian tankers already at sea, but it did not impact new oil shipments. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson said the move would provide temporary relief as the U.S. navigated the war with Iran. The initial waiver expired on April 11th. However, on April 17th, the U.S. extended the waiver for an additional 30 days.

It then issued another extension on May 18th, reportedly following a request from energy vulnerable countries most impacted by limited oil transport throughout the Middle East. However, no new extensions have been issued following the third waiver's expiration on June 17th when the Trump administration was discussing a peace deal with Iran. In the aftermath of Senator Lindsay Graham's death in July, the Senate passed the Lindsay O. Graham sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 26, which is currently under consideration in the House. The bill would impose new sanctions on Russia's leadership and energy sector, as well as imposed sanctions on the shadow fleet that Russia is used to circumvent existing international sanctions and grant the executive branch to the authority to impose 100% tariffs on importers of Russian oil. All right, that is it for your questions answered. I'm going to send it back to Audrey for the rest of the pod. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Have a good one. Peace.

Thanks, Isaac. Next up, we have today's under the radar story. On Wednesday, the Treasury Department announced that it would buy back up to $6 billion of its own long-dated debt, part of Treasury Secretary Scott Besson's effort to at least double the department's regular buyback program to bring down borrowing costs. The Treasury has about $30 trillion in outstanding debt held in treasury notes or T-notes, and it purchased back $2 billion of 10-to-20-year bonds last month. yields on T-notes have been increasing in recent months, affecting borrowing rates for consumers and companies. However, the department's announcement underwhelmed the bond market

as the yield on the 10-year T-note rose by 0.05 percentage points on the day to its highest level since October 2023. The New York Times has the story, and you can find it in the show notes. Finally, our Have a Nice Day story. Katie Pumfrey, an ultra-marathon swimmer and lifelong Maryland resident, had always wanted to swim in the Baltimore Harbor, but pollution and sewage made it unsafe to do so. Over the last decade, however,

nonprofit leaders and city officials worked to make the harbor swimable. Members of the Waterfront Partnership pushed for sewage system upgrades and for more citywide trash cans to prevent added sewage. And an environmental scientist designed a solar and water-powered machine to gather up 12 dumpsters of trash at a time from the harbor. By 2023, the bacteria levels were low enough for a crew of scientists to test out the water,

which proved safe. Since then, Pumfrey has swum in the Baltimore Harbor and become the first person to swim the 24 miles from Trespeake Bay to the Baltimore Harbor. Pumphrey said, quote,

I felt so proud of Baltimore and all of the organizations in the city that worked on and continued to work on are a harbor. The Philadelphia citizen has the story and the link will be in the show notes below. That's it for today's podcast. If you would like to support our work,

head over to readtangle.com, where you get a newsletter subscription, a podcast subscription, or a bundle membership that gets you a discount on both. We will be right back tomorrow. In the meantime, this has been editor, Audrey Moorhead. On behalf of Isaac and everyone else, have a great day and peace.

Our executive editor and founder is me, Isaac Saul, and our executive producer is John Wall. Today's episode was edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Our editorial staff is led by managing editor Ari Weitzman with senior editor Will Kayback and associate editors Audrey Moorhead and Bailey Saul. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. To learn more about Tangle and to sign up for a membership, please visit our website at Retangle.com.