Fetterman explained why other people vote for Trump, didn't say he will | Fact check
The claim: John Fetterman said he’s voting for Trump
A Sept. 23 Threads post (direct link, archive link) shows a TikTok video of Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania on a stage answering a question about former President Donald Trump.
“Wait! Did John Fetterman just say he’s voting for Trump,” the post’s caption begins.
In the clip, Fetterman says in part, "I fundamentally think that I’ll still vote for him.”
The post received more than 900 likes in two days. The video also was shared thousands of times on TikTok.
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Our rating: False
A longer version of the video makes clear Fetterman is talking about what Trump voters have expressed to him, not his own voting plans. He has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, and there is no evidence that has changed.
Video shows Fetterman explaining voters’ feelings, not his own
The clip was taken from a longer interview about political polarization between Fetterman and Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, on Sept. 19 in Washington as part of The Atlantic Festival 2024.
Fact check: Less than half of John Fetterman's votes were mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania race
The Threads post begins with the end of a question from Goldberg. Fetterman begins his lengthy answer by saying, “I know some people that are like, ‘I personally think he’s a terrible person,’ or, ‘I’m appalled by some of these things, but I fundamentally think that I’ll still vote for him.’”
The Threads post misconstrues the voting comment as Fetterman's direct statement, but the full video makes clear the sentence is describing the range of emotions Trump voters have expressed to him, not an announcement of his voting selection.
The full video shows Goldberg asking Fetterman, “Let me sharpen the question a little bit and ask you what people you live with, people who vote for you, your friends, people you grew up with – what do they see in Donald Trump that makes them want to vote for him?”
During his lengthy response, which is also included in the original TikTok video, Fetterman explains those voters' feelings, saying, "There is energy and there's kinds of anger on the ground in Pennsylvania, and people are very committed, and Trump is going to be strong, and we have to respect that."
Fetterman endorsed Harris on July 22, the day after President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid, and there is no evidence he has changed his endorsement. At other points in the interview, he speaks positively about the Democratic presidential nominee. He says that if people “want a new way forward, they are going to choose Harris and it is going to be close, and she will prevail.” Later in the interview, he calls her “an amazing candidate overall" and says she has been “magnificent, and we just could not have had a better rollout.”
Additionally, Fetterman has been campaigning in his state for Harris during the two months of her presidential candidacy, appearing at a rally Aug. 6 in Philadelphia and at an event with her Sept. 13 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
USA TODAY has previously debunked false claims that Fetterman announced his resignation in 2023, has a body double and sued to have undated ballots counted in 2022 in an attempt to cheat.
A spokesperson for Fetterman declined to provide an on-the-record response to a USA TODAY inquiry. USA TODAY reached out to the Threads and TikTok users who shared the clip but did not immediately receive responses.
Lead Stories also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
The Atlantic (YouTube), Sept. 20, The Rise of Political Polarization With Senator John Fetterman | The Atlantic Festival 2024
John Fetterman, July 22, X post
Getty Images, Aug. 6, Harris Picks Minnesota Governor Walz For Ticket
Getty Images, Sept. 13, Kamala Harris Visits Johnstown, Pennsylvania As She Campaigns For President
USA TODAY, Aug. 6, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz hold first joint rally in Philadelphia
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sept. 13, In Johnstown and Wilkes-Barre, Harris pledges support for small businesses
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Fetterman didn't say he will vote for Trump | Fact check