President-elect Donald Trump had several positive things to say about Sen. John Fetterman as a result of their meeting during the weekend at Mar-a-Lago, according to the Washington Examiner.
Trump heaped praise on Pennsylvania’s senior senator calling him “impressive” and “fascinating.”
“It was a totally fascinating meeting. He’s a fascinating man, and his wife is lovely,” he told the Examiner in an exclusive interview.
Fetterman visited with his wife, Gisele, who arrived in the U.S. as an undocumented young person from Brazil and has been an advocate for DACA immigrants.
“He’s a commonsense person. He’s not liberal or conservative. He’s just a commonsense person, which is beautiful,” Trump told the Examiner.
Fetterman said last week that Trump had invited him to meet and that he had accepted, saying he was a senator “for all Pennsylvanians, not just Democrats.”
Fetterman said no one is his “gatekeeper.”
“I will meet with and have a conversation with anyone if it helps me deliver for Pennsylvania and the nation,” he said in a statement last week.
After the meeting, Trump told the Examiner that the two discussed the fate of U.S. Steel, and his belief tariffs would be good for the steel industry, as well as support for Israel and increasing border security.
Trump also praised Fetterman for co-sponsoring the Laken Riley Act, named for the Georgia woman who was killed by an undocumented immigrant. The bill, now awaiting final passage in the Senate, would require authorities to arrest undocumented immigrants on theft and related charges.
“It’s been amazing, and there’s been cooperation within the Republicans and a lot of the Democrats,” said Trump of the bipartisan support of the bill. “I will say that Sen. Fetterman was very impressive to me, really impressive,” he said.