Each passing day seems to make this a matter of “when?” rather than “if”
Having a long memory can be both a blessing and a curse. It makes it hard to let go of bad times when it’s working against you, but it can be very useful when you want to make comparisons to things from the past. Like this time I suggested Tulsi Gabbard would eventually become a Republican once she ditched the Democrat Party.
I got a lot of comments on social media suggesting I was out of my mind, highlighting her previous comments and political priorities. Then, almost exactly two years later to the day, ta-dah!
Not only did Gabbard switch parties, she became one of the best and most well-liked MAGA voices of the Trump era and the first Trump 47 Director of National Intelligence. I believe she will be back in the saddle somewhere important once she has her personal tribulations behind her.
Likewise, a lot has changed in the political universe since John Fetterman was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022. He quickly came to blows with the Democrat establishment over a variety of issues and had enough political sense not to pretend Trump wasn’t well-liked in his home state of Pennsylvania. We will soon find out if his back-handed praise of the President was heartfelt or a matter of political survival.
I’ve been after Fetterman for a while to find his way out from under the dark cloud he has carried his standard beneath.
In another article, I wrote about how Fetterman clearly knows the sentiment of voters in Pennsylvania:
Clear Reasons for the Democrat Shutdown:
- Gin up base anger for November 4, 2025, elections.
- Use huge margins, partly generated from off-year election dynamics, to use as an albatross around GOP necks.
- Pressure GOP to settle shutdown on Democrat terms; given their lack of any political power in the federal government, they were looking for all the leverage they could get.
John Fetterman knew all of this and knew exactly what type of boomerang effect was likely to occur if and only if Senate Republicans held firm and were willing to keep government shut down.
Now, I am confident Senator Fetterman is on the verge of becoming a Republican:
“Prediction: Fetterman will switch to (R) party in Jan. 2027. Can’t win a (D) primary in 2028. Chumming waters lately with comments about (R) family members. Voting record will do a U-Turn when this happens. See Van Drew, Jeff, and Gabbard, Tulsi (not votes, but public…” — Seth Keshel (@RealSKeshel), July 29, 2026
“UPDATE: Sen. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA) admitted in front of Dr. Fauci he REGRETS believing Fauci’s lies, saying conservatives were actually RIGHT. Fetterman even showed up in a suit! ‘I have a [regret], and that is the theory that the virus could have emerged from the lab, and…’” — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh), July 29, 2026
Top 3 Tells Fetterman Will Switch to GOP
I. All in the Family
Last weekend, on My View with Lara Trump, Fetterman was asked about his popularity with Republican voters and why he hasn’t made the switch yet. Fetterman replied:
“My whole family is Republican, and I think they love me. My criticism is directed at the extreme, in my view, indefensible kinds of views [of] things.”
“My whole family…”
He’s definitely talking about blood relatives and those acquired through marriages, because his political family hates his guts. A poll two weeks ago from Quinnipiac University suggests Fetterman enjoys a 77% approval rating with Republicans, but a 69% disapproval rating with Democrats.
Yikes. There is no way, no way, Fetterman can win the 2028 Democrat primary, especially with hard-left DSA-aligned challengers springing up everywhere; therefore, he’s either going to retire from the Senate or attempt reelection through another channel. I suppose there is the independent route, but come on. The only two “independents” in the Senate caucus with Democrats out of safe havens Vermont (Bernie Sanders) and Maine (Angus King).
II. Pennsylvania Still Tracking Red
It’s been a turbulent few months tracking party registration in Pennsylvania, as the primaries gave Democrats a sugar high they haven’t experienced in more than a decade; however, with that in the rearview mirror and registration maintenance underway, the GOP is once again enjoying net pickups. Last week alone, the GOP netted 9,469 active registrations against the Democrats:
“PA WEEKLY VOTER REG UPDATE 7/20-7/27. Net R +9,469. Overall Lead D +56,006. Gains Since Dec 24 R +74,913. A second straight week for the GOP with a multi thousand registered voter gain!!! Wow! This helps gain back a lot of what was lost to the Dems in the last couple of months!” — Five Star (@Five_Starrr), July 27, 2026
The trend since 2024, when Trump prevailed in Pennsylvania, has been steadily more Republican. Here is my updated graphic for the beginning of August:
The GOP has closed the active registrations gap by 75,687, or almost a full percentage point. Furthermore, blue-collar bellwethers Erie and Northampton Counties continue on the red march, strongly suggesting any temporary gains made by Democrats are in urban surges and most likely conducted by third parties being paid to close the gap the Democrats can no longer deny.
The cycle of the Industrial Midwest and Appalachian region is as follows: Pennsylvania is becoming Ohio (the new bellwether), Ohio is becoming Indiana, Indiana is becoming Kentucky, and Kentucky is becoming West Virginia.
Fetterman knows this, and it’s why he takes the positions he does.
III. Groundwork in Place
Dave McCormick, the junior United States Senator of Pennsylvania, was elected alongside Trump in 2024. He had to fend off weeks of Democrat cheating attempting to shoehorn Bob Casey back into the seat. In no small maneuver, McCormick and Fetterman have established a joint fundraising committee:
From The Hill:
A new political action committee called Common Ground PA was filed with the Federal Election Commission earlier this week. It is sponsored by Pennsylvania Sens. John Fetterman (D) and Dave McCormick (R) through two separate fundraising groups.
The two senators are known to be friends, but their status as representing different parties makes the collaboration a unique one in the world of political fundraising.
A spokesperson for McCormick told local outlet The Center Square that the new PAC is based on donors who want to support both senators.
“This group of donors value the collaboration exhibited by Senators McCormick and Fetterman for Pennsylvania and want to support both of them,” the spokesperson said.
You know what makes it easier to support both senators? When they are both in the same party aiming for the same outcomes in a continuously reddening state.
Conclusion
There is precedent for Fetterman’s looming transition to the GOP. He could make this move at any time as the DSA faction of the left keeps pushing him to the center of the controversy, but I think the midterm results will dictate the timing. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this move made effective for the start of the 120th Congress at the beginning of 2027. Former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Arlen Specter switched parties twice in his tenure, but a more recent transition to ease anxieties of those who don’t like Fetterman’s voting record is:
Jeff Van Drew (R, NJ-2)
Congressman Van Drew was elected in the Democrat House wave of 2018, but switched parties in January 2020 after opposing Trump’s impeachment. Here are some Democrat Van Drew highlights from 2019:
- 90% party line Democrat voter
- Supporter of Democrat climate bills
- Co-sponsored “For the People Act” – automatic voter registration, anti-gerrymandering, ethics rules
- Co-sponsor of D.C. Statehood legislation
Republican Van Drew highlights (2020 to present)
- 90% plus Republican Party line voter
- Calls “For the People Act” socialism served on a platter
- Opposes D.C. Statehood
- Opposed certification of Pennsylvania and Arizona 2020 election results
- Called a “MAGA Warrior” by President Trump
Have I made my point? There is serious precedent for Fetterman’s coming switch, and I hope to soon be able to say, “I told you so!”
Seth Keshel, MBA is a Senior Fellow at the Gold Institute for International Strategy and a retired Army Captain. He publishes Captain K’s Corner on Substack.
