Democratic Sen. John Fetterman suggested on Saturday that he would consider leaving his party if it elects Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen as Senate majority leader.
The Pennsylvanian was asked by Fox News if there was a red line that his party could cross that would make him leave.
“Yeah, absolutely. It would be troubling if my caucus elects someone like Van Hollen that has really made his name being very … hostile to Israel,” Mr. Fetterman said.
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“Both in the House now and the Senate now, their first instincts are to punish Israel and to withhold these kinds of aid. Why isn’t it your first instinct to say, ‘Let’s hold Iran accountable?’”
Mr. Van Hollen has launched a long-shot challenge against Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, to lead the caucus in the majority.
Mr. Van Hollen established ties with his party’s socialist wing as an early backer of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s candidacy last year.
The Marylander has criticized America’s military support for Israel and called for fellow Democratic candidates to reject donations from pro-Israel groups.
In the current Congress, he has called on Democrats to deny support for any funding for the Iran war and has opposed legislative provisions requiring intelligence sharing between the U.S. and Israel.
Two other Pennsylvania Democrats, Reps. Madeleine Dean and Chris Deluzio, recently expressed interest in a primary challenge against Mr. Fetterman in 2028.
Polls have consistently shown Mr. Fetterman as popular among Pennsylvania Republicans, but unpopular among the state’s Democratic voters.
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