On Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, Senator Bernie Sanders dismissed criticism from Democratic Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman during an interview with "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker. Sanders said Fetterman, a first-term senator, was "out of touch" with Democrats and the American public.

Fetterman had criticized the Democratic Party for backing socialist candidates like Graham Platner in Maine, as well as the party's stances on illegal immigration and Israel. He singled out Sanders as a source of frustration.

Responding to Fetterman, Sanders stated, "Last time I saw it, he was reflecting the views of about 19% of the Democrats in the state of Pennsylvania, I think probably lower than any other member of the Democratic Senate. Fetterman does his thing, I think on Israel and many other issues, is way out of touch with the people of America."

Sanders was among prominent left-wing Democrats who initially supported Platner despite multiple scandals, including a Nazi tattoo, sexting, allegations of abuse toward women, and calls for violence. Sanders withdrew his support only after Platner was accused of sexual assault by an ex-girlfriend.

"There were very serious allegations against Platner," Sanders told Welker. "As a result of those accusations, I and virtually all of his supporters requested that he withdraw from the race, and he did."

When asked if he regretted backing Platner, Sanders declined to express regret, saying, "Platner ran a very strong campaign, and in fact, many of the issues that he’s raised are resonating all over this country. A woman made very serious allegations against him."

Sources