Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania spoke out this week against escalating political rhetoric, urging Americans to move away from language that fuels division or violence.

Fetterman, a Democrat representing a state with a strong conservative base, said his own background shaped his perspective.

“I’m the only Democrat in my family. I grew up in a conservative part of Pennsylvania, and now I grew up and I knew, I know and I love people that voted for President Trump, but they are not fascists. They’re not Nazis. They’re not trying to destroy her. The Constitution, those things,” he said.

The senator criticized what he described as a growing tendency to label political opponents with extreme terms.

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“That’s part of another thing I refuse to call people Nazis or fascists or I would never compare anybody, anybody to Hitler,” Fetterman said, warning that such “extreme rhetoric is going to continue” and make the country “more likely in resulting in extreme kind of outcomes and political violence.”

Fetterman mentioned conservative activist Charlie Kirk while urging empathy in the aftermath of violence.

“For me, all I could say is, is like, let people grieve, give people the space. I’m not going to use that terrible thing and that passive assassination to make my argument and try to put out my views,” he said.

The senator reflected on the personal cost of political violence, citing the recent tragedies that have shaken the country.

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“It’s like, my god, you know, he’s a father that had his neck blown out by a bullet, and now people have forgotten President Trump was in my state was shot in the head,” he said.

“And if that would have, could you imagine where our nation would be if he was hit in the same way with Kirk?”

Calling for calm, Fetterman said the country must “really got to turn the temperature down.”

He added, “We can agree to disagree on these kinds of things, but right now, shutting down the government. I just can’t take it that.”

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Fetterman’s remarks come amid heightened concern over rising tensions and political violence nationwide, as both parties grapple with how to lower the tone of national discourse.

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