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Sen. John Fetterman broke from many of his fellow Democrats Saturday (February 28) by voicing strong support for the joint U.S.-Israel military strikes on Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, as Pennsylvania and regional lawmakers sharply divided over President Trump's decision to act.
Appearing on Fox & Friends Weekend, the Pennsylvania Democrat said he backed the operation without hesitation. "Well, because that was always the right thing," Fetterman said. "You can just put out tweets and statements to support peace, but to actually create real peace, you have to do these kinds of actions."
The senator posted on X shortly after the strikes began: "Operation Epic Fury. President Trump has been willing to do what's right and necessary to produce real peace in the region. God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel."
Fetterman also pushed back on critics within both parties. "I'd like to remind my colleagues over in the House that Iran massacred 30,000 of their own people right now," he said. "This war is not about the Iranian people — it's about this poisonous regime." He added, "I might be a Democrat, but in this specific case, the president is absolutely correct."
Pennsylvania's other senator, Republican Dave McCormick, also expressed support. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, McCormick wrote on X: "For decades, the Iranian regime has killed Americans, threatened Israel and our allies in the region with their ballistic missiles and nuclear ambitions, and butchered tens of thousands of its own people."
Not all Pennsylvania lawmakers agreed. U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, a Democrat from Fox Chapel, sharply criticized the action. "Once again, an American President is sending brave Americans to fight and bleed in a Middle East regime change war," he said. "Donald Trump is ordering other people's kids to risk their lives in an unauthorized war the Congress and the American people have not approved." Deluzio called on Congress to reconvene immediately.
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, a Democrat from Swissvale, echoed that call. "This is an insanely unpopular, dangerous, and illegal act of war," she said. "Congress must pass a War Powers Resolution immediately and hold this lawless president accountable."
Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly of Butler took the opposite view, praising the president. "President Trump's decisive military action in Iran once again reinforces his commitment to American security both at home and abroad," Kelly said. "The Iranian regime remains the world's largest state sponsor of terror."
Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, a Philadelphia Democrat, was sharply critical. "Every Republican President in my lifetime has brought us an economic recession and a new war," he said. "'No new wars' was a central plank of Trump's campaign and yet again he lied."
As NBC10 Philadelphia reported, reactions extended beyond Pennsylvania. New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim, a Democrat, called the strikes "dangerous and foolish," comparing the decision to the early days of the Iraq War. "How many times do the American people need to wake up in the morning and see this president dragging us into another conflict?" Kim told CNN. He called for an immediate Senate vote on a War Powers Resolution.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said her office was closely monitoring the situation and that there was no known threat to the state. As a precaution, law enforcement increased patrols at houses of worship and other sensitive sites. The Philadelphia Police Department issued a similar statement, saying it had boosted patrols at religious and cultural sites while noting no credible local threats.
Marjam Vafa of Philly Iranians reflected the complex feelings within the Iranian-American community. "President Trump said the right words. He said this is not just for now, this is for the future," Vafa said. "It is a very hard time for the Iranian community right now."
On the question of how long the operation could last, Fetterman pointed to Israel's June 2025 conflict with Iran as a reference point. "It took just a couple of days for Iran to beg for a ceasefire," he said. "Israel was able to achieve air supremacy after like two to three days."
Congress has not authorized the strikes, and calls for a War Powers Resolution vote continued to grow Saturday as the operation unfolded. Whether lawmakers will reconvene to take up the measure remains to be seen.