Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) sharply criticized Graham Platner in an interview with FOX News host Kayleigh McEnany on “Saturday in America.” Fetterman argued Democrats are applying a double standard by excusing conduct they would condemn in a Republican.

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, ANCHOR, SATURDAY IN AMERICA:  Joining me now, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman. Senator Fetterman, you’ve been very vocal on this. Other Democrats, a little more skittish, AOC said she didn’t know the details of the “New York Times” report.   Hakeem Jeffries; leader of the House, I haven’t followed it closely. That seems like an untenable position for your colleagues.    SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA):  Yes, I know. I mean, who is Pete Hustle? Well, put an R at the end of his name, and what would Democrats describe Pete Hustle if he was a Republican, because that would probably be true to all of these things.    I mean, there’s been no redemption for this man. He’s just only been caught the way he behaved and the things that he said and done over his entire life. And the only thing that he’ll acknowledge and apologize to is just the thing that he was caught before he was about ready to run for the Senate.   He thought he was clever and they were going to delete, you know, all of the — his Pete Hustle account with Reddit, but he forgot that the internet never forgets, and all those things that he said now. It’s not like he acknowledged that.    He got caught, and now whether it’s what happened where, you know, what he did with those women in that article or the terrible things that he said. Could you imagine if a Republican had an absolute Nazi tattoo on your chest, or if a Republican described that a purple heart recipient is a dumb mf-er that doesn’t deserve to live?   And/or describe our — describe our army as absolutely trash, those things. So, this isn’t about redemption. You know, this is a man that just consistently get caught, you know, with the behavior and the things that he’s done his entire life.    MCENANY:  And you mentioned several of these problems. I mean, the Nazi tattoo has been known about for a long time, and that line was a line that Democrats were willing to deal with. And then the army is trash, you mentioned that.    And then we learned about these really egregious reports, he denies, saying that this woman says she was pushed on her shoulder, he left a mark. He confined her in a room, he denies that. But where is the line where your party says, we’re out, we’ve got to get away from this guy.    FETTERMAN:  Well, I’m the guy that I’ll be — I’m a Democrat, and I think we have fantastic candidates across our map. In Ohio, in Georgia, in Texas and other thing. But you know, I’ll be the one honest Democrat to describe, you know, look at that, look at that visual on there.   I mean, this — that dude was on Kik for a decade. I mean, do you know what Kik is? Just anyone watching, google what Kik is. You know, they have serious underage problems with people that are in that, and they go there because it can be anonymous and they can do all kinds of depraved things.    And I have watched that interview on “MSN NOW”, and for that cream puff interview, and he asked Pete Hustle, oh, all those people that you were dropping all the dick pics and saying these things, are you — they were all 18 or older, right?    Oh, yes, definitely, yes, whatever. He didn’t push back there. You know, well, hey, what’s your protocol? Did you have — you know, see, check ID? You know, like how could you really be sure? That’s the thing. So, I mean — and now just last year before he was going to run for the Senate.   You know, he was dropping all these kinds of pics and texts with a dozen women for there — so, that’s not redemption, that’s a guy that got caught doing these things.    MCENANY:  Yes, no doubt. And you proposed an interesting deal. You said “let’s make a deal” — these are your words, “I’ll tell Pete Hustle, I’ll wear a suit every day if he releases all those texts and messages that he has had with a dozen women.” Have you heard from him on this deal?    FETTERMAN:  Yes, well, no. Of course, I never heard from Pete Hustle. But what’s strange with Pete Hustle is, back in April, he was doing an interview on that pro-Hamas zadio(ph) network, or whatever that thing is, and he said that I am — I am the bane of his existence.    And really was angry how I dress too. And now, I said, now, Pete Hustle, here’s a great chance. You know, you can just prove all these people that you’re dropping those dick pics and saying these things to — we’re over 18, and now I will wear a suit every day in the Senate, and now you can set the record clear and provide all those texts and all those conversations that you were having as a newlywed just before you were going to run for the Senate.    MCENANY:  There’s been —    FETTERMAN:  Transparency.    MCENANY:  Transparency, yes —   FETTERMAN:  Yes —   MCENANY:  That’s right. You know, there have been “Axios” —   FETTERMAN:  Yes —   MCENANY:  Articles about people in your party on background wanting to oust you, someone who, you are the voice of reason. You are a vote that would stop nuking the filibuster by way of example if other Democrats wanted to.    How do you feel when you are the subject of an ousting conversation play out in the press, but this guy is not.   FETTERMAN:  Yes, it’s strange, I know. I have members in my congressional delegation that they were giving Platner money. But they won’t — they won’t — they’ve said negative things about me just because I have a view as a committed Democrat.   You know, if you want to provide money for a guy with a Nazi tattoo or that spent a decade on Kik and saying all kinds of depraved things, I’m sure that’s their choice. But as a Democrat, bring me on a show and I can have great conversations about, you know, all of the great candidates that we have across the map.    But I’ll be the one Democrat that just call it what he is, and what is Pete Hustle? Put an R behind his name and find out what Democrats would say because that would describe what he really is.    MCENANY:  One other candidate I want to ask you about in New Jersey’s 12th District. A man named Hamawy is his last name. And he was a defense witness for The Blind Sheikh. He claims innocence in all of this, he was never the subject of, you know, litigation himself, I would note.   But he is looking to represent the district where Todd Beamer; the hero from flight 93 is laid to rest. He said “let’s roll”, he saved American lives, he’s a hero. But this individual not only a defense witness for The Blind Sheikh, but was working at a place as a volunteer that was above tunnels and a command center for ISIS. A lot there. What are your thoughts on him?    FETTERMAN:  You know, that’s — again, that’s kind of part of the way the anti-Israel and anti — just, these are the kinds of more candidates. I mean, we have someone in my state, you know, Raph(ph), you know, I mean, he was — so, these are just anti-Israel and those kinds of values.   So, for me, you know, I’ll be the one proud, very proud Israel, and I’ll be the one Democrat to call things out what they really are depending on whatever the name is after their — well, after the letters, after the name. You know, I’ll just call it what it is.    Now, that’s not someone that I could ever vote for or support for, but you know, that’s the direction our party has been consistently drifting into.    MCENANY:  Senator John Fetterman, I appreciate you. Thank you so much. 

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