Democratic Senator John Fetterman has expressed his disapproval of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidates making inroads into his party during this election cycle. He has been notably vocal against Graham Platner in Maine and is now criticizing Abdul El-Sayed, a Michigan senate hopeful.
El-Sayed faced backlash recently after making a disparaging remark about Fetterman, referring to him as an ‘ogre’ and suggesting his head should be ‘on a pike.’
Fetterman addressed these comments during a CNBC appearance, referring to El-Sayed as the ‘Pontiac Platner.’
The Hill reports:
Fetterman labels El-Sayed ‘Pontiac Platner’ in response to ‘ogre on a pike’ comment
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) called Michigan senatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed “Pontiac Platner” after El-Sayed’s comment at a donor meeting about supporting a primary challenge against Fetterman to “put one ogre on a pike” and send a broader message to the Democratic Party.
“I never pursued male modeling, call me Senator Shrek, whatever,” Fetterman remarked on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” in response to El-Sayed’s remark about putting him “on a pike.”
“But this man is truly the Pontiac Platner and now appears to be aiming to lead our emerging pro-Hamas faction here in the party,” Fetterman added. “Politically, some of his statements or actions are unacceptable to me.”
“I’m not really sure what I’ve done or voted for that has upset this person so much,” he commented.
Fetterman has been an outspoken critic of Graham Platner, the former Maine Senate candidate who ended his campaign against Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) earlier this month following allegations of rape by a woman he dated in 2021.
Fetterman has also criticized progressive figures like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for supporting candidates like Platner and El-Sayed, despite concerns from Democratic leaders in Washington about their potential weakness in the general elections this November.
See the video below:
Senator John Fetterman responds to El-Sayed attacking his appearance, calling him an “ogre on a pike.”
“I never worked out in male modeling. Call me Senator Shrek. Whatever! This guy is really the Pontiac Platner!”
“And now he’s running to be the head of our emerging pro-Hamas… pic.twitter.com/R4awVDepR8
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 28, 2026
John Fetterman appears to be one of the few Democrats who openly challenges these DSA radicals, recognizing them for who they are.
Meanwhile, party leaders like Schumer have remained notably silent.
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