Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who has repeatedly clashed with his own party, insisted he remains loyal to the Democrats after making a surprise video appearance at the Republican National Committee's midterm convention in Dallas, where he introduced fellow Pennsylvania senator Dave McCormick, a Republican. The episode fuelled fresh speculation that Fetterman could defect to the GOP, given his history of breaking with Democratic leadership and Republicans' open welcome of him, but he used a statement to Fox News Digital to draw a firm line, saying he was still a "lifelong Democrat" who would back his party if it retook the Senate majority.

Fetterman, who won his seat in 2022 after defeating Mehmet Oz, described McCormick as "a great American and friend" while stressing they belonged to different parties working for the same state, and pointed to funding secured for Pennsylvania transport and housing projects. He has increasingly diverged from Senate Democrats on issues including Israel policy, the war in Iran and last autumn's government shutdown, and recently faced calls from within his party to resign following leaked texts suggesting he neglected some official duties. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans would welcome Fetterman joining their conference, but the senator maintained he intends to stay a Democrat regardless of November's midterm outcome.