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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., criticized members of his own party for labeling President Donald Trump “Hitler” or an “autocrat,” responding to the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on Sunday.
Fetterman spoke with CNN’s Manu Raju on Wednesday shortly after news emerged about Kirk being shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University, though before he was confirmed dead.
The Democratic senator pointed out that just one day prior, people were protesting Trump by calling him the “Hitler of our time.” He condemned comparing anyone, including Trump, to Adolf Hitler and insisted his party must “turn the temperature down.”
Charlie Kirk was assassinated during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)
“I think you just don’t ever, ever compare anyone to Hitler and those kinds of extreme things,” Fetterman said. “Now, look what happened to Charlie Kirk. I mean, you know, the man was shot. Now, we have to turn the temperature down. We can’t compare people to these kinds of figures in history. And this is not an autocrat. This is a product of a democratic election.”
“So you don’t think that Trump is at all shattering any of the norms of democracy in any way?” Raju asked.
“I’m saying he’s definitely different, but that’s what America voted for,” Fetterman answered. “Again, I don’t agree with many of these things, but that does not make him an autocrat.”
Though Fetterman frequently criticizes aspects of the Democratic Party, he told Raju that he was never going to change his party label while lamenting how Democrats have “lost the argument.”
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said on CNN that President Donald Trump was not an “autocrat.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“Right now, I think it’s entirely appropriate to really be honest and just figure out why exactly have we effectively lost two out of the last three cycles and of a lot of things,” Fetterman said. “We’ve really kind of lost our connection with American voters in ways. And I think we can‘t just be ‘well, Trump is always wrong’ or that ‘we‘re going to set the country on fire’ or whatever. That‘s just not true either, of course. “
He continued, “But, you know, when I represent a state like Pennsylvania, that keeps you honest. You always can‘t forget that a lot of Americans happen to disagree with you. That does not mean that they are fascists, or now they want to shred the Constitution.”
Kirk’s death has sparked a nationwide conversation about political rhetoric after law enforcement reported that bullet casings found near the scene bore inscriptions with anti-fascist messages.
Since the July 2024 assassination attempt on Trump, Republicans have accused members of the media and Democratic opponents of fueling violence by repeatedly comparing him to the Nazi leader.
Rep. Jasmine Crocket, D-Texas, claimed that her calling President Donald Trump a “wannabe Hitler” was not inciting violence. (AP/Evan Vucci)
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, however, defended calling Trump a “wannabe Hitler” on Friday, days after Kirk was killed.
“Me disagreeing with you, me calling you, you know, ‘wannabe Hitler,’ all those things are like, not necessarily saying, ‘Go out and hurt somebody,’” Crockett said on “The Breakfast Club.” “But when you’re literally telling people at rallies, ‘Yeah, beat them up’ and that kind of stuff, you are promoting a culture of violence.”
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Fox News’ Alexander Hall contributed to this report.
