💛 A quick favor, if you've got a second.
We're really happy that you chose to read one of our stories and sincerely hope you'll stick around to read more. We took our paywall down — for now — but that won't last forever, and when the gate goes back up, we'd love for you to already be on the inside.
It's free. So please enter your email here and don't forget to like and follow us on all of your favorite Social Media platforms!
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman fired back at Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdulrahman El-Sayed on Wednesday, bestowing him with the unflattering moniker “Pontiac Platner” in response to inflammatory remarks made during a private fundraiser. El-Sayed’s comments, captured in a leaked Zoom recording and obtained by Politico, included rhetoric about placing an “ogre” on a “pike”—language widely interpreted as a reference to the six-foot-nine Fetterman.
During the donor call, El-Sayed explicitly mentioned Fetterman’s Pennsylvania seat as a potential target for a primary challenge, declaring he had “no problem” taking on the incumbent lawmaker. The Michigan candidate dismissed traditional norms against primarying sitting senators from the same party, saying that removing such figures would send a message to other Democrats to shift their positions.
Fetterman addressed the controversy during an interview with CNBC’s Joe Kernen, brushing aside the personal attacks while deploying sharp wit. “This guy is really the Pontiac Platner, and now he’s really running to be the head of our emerging pro-Hamas wing here in the party,” Fetterman said, comparing El-Sayed to Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who withdrew from his race following sexual misconduct allegations.
The senator expressed concern about Democratic tolerance for the party’s far-left faction, saying his colleagues were playing a “serious game” by providing platform oxygen to the “Bernie Sanders wing” that “created the Platner disaster.” He emphasized the importance of internal party discipline, noting that both Republicans and Democrats must police their own ranks.
El-Sayed has cultivated significant ties to Democratic Socialists of America, attending and speaking at six DSA events between 2017 and 2020, including a 2019 fundraiser he headlined. Despite this record, El-Sayed has publicly distanced himself from socialist labels when addressing mainstream media, telling The Wall Street Journal and CNN that he is “not a socialist” but rather someone who believes capitalism requires regulation.
More Stories
Former NFL cheerleader and ex-aide face off in close Rhode Island GOP primary
Trump Threatens FCC Action Against NBC’s Welker Over Endorsement Coverage
Chicago Mayor Issues Executive Order Requiring Contractor Diversity Disclosures and ICE Ties Reporting