Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania is pushing back against Democratic strategist James Carville’s call to expand the Supreme Court, telling members of his party that they should “win more elections” instead of changing long-standing rules, as reported [1] by Fox News.
Fetterman made the comments during an appearance on “Saturday in America,” where he reiterated that he has consistently opposed proposals to add seats to the nation’s highest court.
“I strongly rejected trying to pack the Supreme Court or to change those things,” Fetterman said on the program. “When I ran for the Senate back in the ‘21, ’22, I rejected those things.”
Nov 4, 2023; Altoona, Iowa, United States; Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman speaks at the Iowa Democrats Liberty and Justice Celebration. Mandatory Credit: Rachel Mummey-The Des Moines RegisterHis remarks followed Carville’s recent argument that Democrats should consider adding four liberal justices to the Supreme Court if the party wins the White House in 2028.
Carville made his case on the Nov. 15 episode of “Saturday in America,” where he said the court should be expanded to 13 members.
“This is the lowest the Supreme Court has been rated, and if you believe, as I do, that we need faith in not just the executive or the congressional branch of government, but the Supreme Court,” Carville said.
“And it is not written anywhere in the Constitution that you have to have nine [justices]. That’s just a number they came up with.”
Carville argued that the move would be the fastest way to “get some balance on the court,” insisting that adding new justices would counter the court’s current ideological makeup.
During the same appearance, Carville also aimed at Fetterman after being told the senator is viewed as a rising figure in the party.
“If John Fetterman is the smartest person in the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party is in really, really, really deep trouble. Really deep trouble,” he said.
Fetterman, however, dismissed the idea that Democrats should rewrite rules in response to policy disagreements or electoral setbacks.
“We were the Democrats,” Fetterman said. “It’s like, you don’t change the rules if you didn’t win. It’s, like, ‘Win more elections,’ and then you are able to change those dynamics the way it was designed to be in the Constitution right now.”
The disagreement highlights an ongoing divide inside the Democratic Party between those who want to overhaul institutions and those who argue the party should maintain existing structures.
Fetterman has presented himself as part of the latter group, distancing himself from left-wing activists on a number of issues.
He has broken from Democrats on the record-shattering government shutdown and has openly condemned socialism even as left-leaning candidates have won high-profile elections in places such as New York City.
The exchange marks the latest example of Fetterman positioning himself against major elements of his party’s activist base as Democrats continue internal debates about strategy heading into future election cycles.