Sen. Fetterman breaks ranks, admits the truth about Democrats' radical position on the anti-ICE riots

Numerous Democratic politicians have in recent days returned to their summer 2020 strategy of characterizing violent leftist riots as peaceful protest and President Donald Trump's desire to restore order as both escalatory and authoritarian.

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, among the standouts in his party who previously refused to join progressives in attacking Israel in the wake of the 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks, proved willing once again to call out his colleagues for their radical approach.

The trend

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents executed a number of lawful operations last week in California. Democrats were quick to demonize the federal agents and frame their operations as illegitimate.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, for instance, accused ICE agents of sowing "terror" and stressed that the city would "not stand for this."

California U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla followed suit, stating that the "ICE raids across Los Angeles today are a continuation of a disturbing pattern of extreme and cruel immigration enforcement operations across the country" and demanding "accountability for today's actions."

'This is a wake up call for many Democrats.'

While Democrats vilified ICE, similarly minded radicals took to the streets, attacking police and federal agents, blockading major thoroughfares, setting fires across the city, and looting downtown businesses.

RELATED: VIDEO: Blaze News reporter on scene as tensions escalate in Los Angeles for 4th night

Photo by RINGO CHIU/AFP via Getty Images

At the outset, Fetterman's comrades were largely silent on the matter, even as police were being brutalized by foreign flag-waving radicals. However, when President Donald Trump called up the National Guard on Saturday and deemed the rioters "troublemakers and insurrectionists," Democrats decided chaos was, actually, a problem — but a problem attributable primarily to Trump.

Bass, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey were among the Democrats who blamed Trump and his administration for the violence and unrest.

The exception

Fetterman suggested in a message on Monday that Democrats' failure to condemn the violent and destructive acts committed by the rioters in Los Angeles was not only immoral but a self-own.

"I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration — but this is not that," wrote Fetterman in a message accompanying a photograph of a rioter standing atop a destroyed car and waving a Mexican flag while nearby other wrecks burned. "This is anarchy and true chaos."

"My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement," added Fetterman.

While poorly received by unhinged partisans like podcaster Keith Olbermann, Republicans welcomed the insight.

RELATED: White House warns radicals now massing in Boston, elsewhere in wake of LA riots: 'Think twice'

Anti-ICE protesters in LA on June 8. Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

"Well said," responded Alabama Sen. Katie Boyd Britt (R).

Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy wrote, "It's hard to preach hard truths to your own side. I respect this."

Elon Musk responded with an American flag emoji.

Deputy White House chief of staff Taylor Budowich seized upon Fetterman's tweet as a strong indicator to similarly sensible Democrats that their party may have left them behind.

"This is a wake up call for many Democrats: there is no room for you in the party of @GavinNewsom and @KamalaHarris," wrote Budowich. "Their self-obsessed pursuits of power are blind to you and your concerns. They defend chaos, reject biology, and are unbothered by the invasion of our nation."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!