Pennsylvania senator who has clashed with party over Israel support says he will reject \u2018the extremes and socialism\u2019.<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat who has distanced himself from his party, has appeared in a video recording on the first day of the Republican Party\u2019s two-day midterm conventio<\/a>n<\/a> in the United States.<\/p>\n The video on Wednesday was a surprise for those who attended\u00a0the conservative gathering<\/a> in Dallas, Texas, where President Donald Trump<\/a> is seeking to galvanise support ahead of the November elections.<\/p>\n Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I\u2019m Senator John Fetterman, Pennsylvania. Yes, I\u2019m a Democrat. Why am I here talking to you today? Because, well, I\u2019m a common-sense Democrat,\u201d Fetterman said as he introduced his Republican colleague, Senator Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n Fetterman, a 57-year-old first-term senator, has cast himself as an outsider within the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n He has offered outspoken support for Israel and the war on Iran<\/a>, even as voters and progressive voices in his party criticise<\/a> those elements of US foreign policy.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m always going to stand with America. I\u2019m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life,\u201d Fetterman said in the video clip.<\/p>\n But his appearance at the Republican Party\u2019s first-ever midterm convention is likely to exacerbate criticism from his Democratic colleagues.<\/p>\n US Representative Brendan Boyle, another Pennsylvania Democrat, has repeatedly questioned Fetterman\u2019s party allegiance, as well as his commitment to public service. He renewed that sentiment after Wednesday\u2019s video aired.<\/p>\n \u201cA year ago I labeled John Fetterman \u2018Trump\u2019s favorite Democrat.\u2019 Tonight, he yet again proves why,\u201d Boyle wrote on social media.<\/p>\n Fetterman has also faced questions about his fitness for office following a series of reports that detail his apparent lack of enthusiasm for his Senate responsibilities.<\/p>\n A recent Wall Street Journal article found that the senator had cancelled meetings with constituents.<\/p>\n