John Fetterman

It should be no surprise Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and President Donald Trump get along so well. Democrat Fetterman and Republican Trump are pretty much the same guy.

Both rose to power on the promise they could make things better because they were not typical politicians. Both made promises they could not keep. And both have had unprecedented free media coverage throughout their political careers that has helped them sell what they have been selling.

Shortly after moving to Braddock as an AmeriCorps teacher in 2004, Fetterman ran for mayor and won by one vote — 149-148. Those of us whose families settled in Braddock in the early 20th century to work in the Edgar Thomson Works and other nearby mills and factories wanted him to succeed. Reelected three times, his tenure was rocky and Braddock continued to decline and lose population and jobs.

When Fetterman ran for lieutenant governor in 2017, he ran and won as a different kind of politician, with the support of Gov. Ed Rendell and Sen. Bernie Sanders. He supported the legalization of marijuana, a generous pardon policy and other progressive causes, which he carried into his successful campaign for United States Senator in 2021.

By then, his positions mattered less than the media’s romantic image of him: his ever-present hoodies and shorts, his tattoos and his brash demeanor. His political ads and social media posts made it sound like he had saved Gotham City during his time as mayor, ignoring that Braddock was a town of less than 2,000 people who had not been saved.

Fetterman won handily but soon became known for absenteeism, the same reputation he had as mayor and lieutenant governor. A recent Wall Street Journal article claimed Fetterman “shows little interest in doing the job.” As he has grown closer to Trump, a recent poll showed 75% of Democrats would not vote for his reelection.

Trump also has benefited from a fawning media. Lionized as a business genius early in his career, it was easy for him to convince voters he could use those skills to rebuild America. His bankrupted casinos and the subcontractors who he regularly stiffed got little attention, eclipsed by Trump’s pro-growth bravado. Many Americans wanted to believe him and voted for him.

But none of that squares with what many of his supporters in pro-Trump states have experienced since his election to two terms. Soybean farmers were stunned when he started a tariff war with China that threatened at least one-quarter of their annual market.

Cattle ranchers were betrayed by Trump’s decision to eliminate tariffs on tons of questionable foreign beef, undercutting their ability to survive in a tough market. Union members who supported Trump have seen factories close and jobs disappear in spite of Trump’s promises.

More American families are struggling to afford groceries. And gasoline has been near all-time highs because of the war Trump started in the Middle East. Trump guaranteed both of those costs would go down.

Trump tried to buy our votes this week with our own tax dollars, promising every American $5,000 if Republicans keep control of Congress in the upcoming midterms. It would cost over a trillion dollars and “drive up interest rates, weaken the longer-run economy, explode the debt, push up inflation and leave our children further indebted,” according to Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

At that same gathering this week, Trump said something that must make many Republican candidates cringe: “Pretend that I’m on the ballot.”

Many Democrats think that’s a great idea.