Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., urged members of his party to talk like regular people on Tuesday while pushing back on MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle’s questioning about the rise of oligarchs in America.
“I would just ask Democrats, like, start talking like a regular person. Most people are not sure what an oligarch is, you know?” Fetterman told Ruhle when pressed on the idea that America was “creating oligarchs.”
Fetterman, a Democrat who has not held back on criticizing his own party, called out his fellow lawmakers for their protests and antics during President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress, accusing them of making Trump look more presidential.
“There’s also another little secret, too. Democrats, we like billionaires if they’re giving to our causes or to our party as well,” he continued before Ruhle pushed back.
John Fetterman and MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle discuss oligarchs during MSNBC interview. (Screenshot/MSNBC)
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Fetterman argued the larger issue was about “unlimited money,” which he described as the poison of American democracy.
“Remember, a lot of these billionaires that were in tech, they used to be more friendly to the Democratic interest and our party,” he said. “Unlimited money, get rid of that, and that would transform America more than any single other decision.”
Ruhle pointed out Musk’s role in the Trump administration, which is widely criticized by Democrats and members of the media, and argued, “There’s a difference between very wealthy political donors,” and wealthy individuals inside the government making decisions that could “enrich themselves and their businesses.”
“That’s different from being a Democratic donor who has the president’s ear or, at the very least, his phone number,” she said.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., talks with West Point cadets in the senate subway on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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“I’m not sure if they necessarily are motivated just, you know, based on money,” the Democratic senator argued. “Whether it’s Bezos or Musk, they have far more than you could spend in 100 lifetimes. So, for that, I think scarcity defines the luxury, so that’s why a lot of them want to be engaged on that, because they have unlimited money, so I think they want to just be part of the conversation.”
Asked by Ruhle if he believed their role in government helps their businesses, Fetterman said their businesses might align with the prevailing administration’s values.
“So, for me, they might move [where] a lot of the political waters flow,” he added. “I don’t think it’s billionaires taking over the country, I think it’s just people with a lot of money, and we can spontaneously stop it by cutting off unlimited money.”
Elon Musk speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Fetterman said on social media that his party was becoming like “metaphorical car alarms” that no one pays attention to in response to the protests during the president’s address.
“A sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance. It only makes Trump look more presidential and restrained. We’re becoming the metaphorical car alarms that nobody pays attention to—and it may not be the winning message,” the senator said in a post on X.
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He told Fox News Digital that the 13-year-old cancer survivor, DJ Daniel, who was honored at Trump’s address, had a story every member of Congress could celebrate. However, several Democrats remained seated as Trump honored him.
“I don’t know why we can’t fully celebrate,” Fetterman said. “I mean, I have a 13-year-old myself, and thank God she’s never had cancer, but I think that’s something we can all celebrate there. And I think it was a touching moment. And, like I said, that’s part of the best of the American experience.”
