Fetterman, McCormick to hold event in Downtown Pittsburgh, drawing criticism from some on left
Pennsylvania’s U.S. Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman and their wives are holding a public event this weekend in Downtown Pittsburgh where the McCormicks will discuss their new book and participate in a discussion with the Fettermans about mentorship.
McCormick is a Republican from Pittsburgh, Fetterman a Democrat from Braddock. Both are in their first terms, with Fetterman taking office in January 2023 and McCormick being sworn in about two months ago.
An Eventbrite listing for the hourlong event, scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Saturday, offered tickets for $32 apiece. Those attending will receive a copy of the book “Who Believed in You?” by McCormick and his wife, Dina Powell McCormick, the listing said.
The listing did not say where the event would be held.
While McCormick and Fetterman have pledged to work together on issues where they can find common ground, Fetterman has received backlash from some in his party for his openness to working with President Donald Trump and Republicans on certain issues. He also has been critical of some of his fellow Democrats for how they have handled affairs since Trump took office.
One prominent Pennsylvania Democrat, Cumberland County Democratic Chairman Matt Roan, called on Fetterman to resign in a recent PennLive.com op-ed. Roan pointed to Fetterman’s votes to confirm many of Trump’s cabinet nominees, his support for a GOP-led funding bill that prevented a government shutdown and Fetterman not holding any town hall meetings in Pennsylvania this year to answer questions directly from constituents.
On the latter point, another Fetterman critic, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb of Mt. Lebanon, wrote on the social media platform X, “If (Fetterman and McCormick) are going to be together anyway (at Saturday’s event), why not open it up to questions? Do it in a venue large enough for a broad cross section of your constituents to attend.”
Lamb lost to Fetterman in the 2022 Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate.
Tom Fontaine is director of politics and editorial standards at TribLive. He can be reached at tfontaine@triblive.com.
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