Bitter Fetterman-El-Sayed feud threatens to complicate Schumer's Senate unity push
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for Democratic Party unity Wednesday following the midterm elections, but a bitter feud between Sen. John Fetterman and Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed could complicate efforts...
By Fox News · Fox News
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for Democratic Party unity Wednesday following the midterm elections, but a bitter feud between Sen. John Fetterman and Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed could complicate efforts to unite the caucus in the 120th Congress. The two Democrats traded personal insults throughout the 2026 election cycle, clashing over U.S. military assistance to Israel, Medicare for All and the ideological direction of the Democratic Party. "You put one ogre on a pike , and then everyone else gets the message," El-Sayed, D-Mich., reportedly told progressive donors during a private Zoom call, arguing that challenging moderate Democrats in primary elections would send a message to the party's establishment. CHUCK SCHUMER AFTER SWEEPING DEMOCRATIC MIDTERM VICTORIES: 'I'LL BE RE-ELECTED AS MAJORITY LEADER' Fetterman, D-Pa., has been an outspoken supporter of U.S. military assistance to Israel, including funding for its Iron Dome missile defense system, and he has backed military action against Hezbollah and Iran. El-Sayed, meanwhile, campaigned against the war in Iran and opposed taxpayer-funded military operations and U.S. aid to Israel. A longtime Democratic Senate staffer told Fox News Digital that they would "not be surprised" if tensions emerged between the two lawmakers but expressed confidence that their loyalty to the Democratic Party would outweigh their personal disagreements. FETTERMAN CLAIMS DEMOCRATIC ‘BIG TENT’ HAS MORE ROOM FOR ‘AMERICA DESERVED 9/11’ THAN ISRAEL SUPPORT The staffer added that Fetterman has faced criticism from other members of the Senate Democratic caucus , though those disagreements have not necessarily prevented lawmakers from working together. During a televised primary debate, El-Sayed confirmed that his "ogre on a pike" remark was directed at Fetterman, accusing the Pennsylvania senator of having "abandoned his elected values" through his support for U.S. military assistance to I…