Did John Fetterman Really Call for Communists and Socialists to Be Kicked Out of the Democratic Party?
A viral social media graphic claims that Democratic Senator John Fetterman has declared it is time to “kick out every communist and socialist” from the Democratic Party.
The image places Fetterman beside Zohran Mamdani, a prominent democratic socialist, creating the impression that Fetterman personally issued a direct expulsion order aimed at Mamdani and everyone sharing his politics.
The underlying dispute is real. Fetterman has delivered extraordinarily harsh criticism of democratic socialists, communists and the Democratic Socialists of America. He has said the Democratic Party should “divorce” itself from that movement and that its members should establish a separate party.
But the headline in the graphic is not a verified word-for-word quotation.
It is a forceful summary created by the publisher.
That distinction matters because Fetterman’s actual comments are already unusually confrontational. They do not need to be rewritten to establish that he wants a clear organizational separation between mainstream Democrats and the socialist left.
The Fact-Check Verdict
The most accurate rating is:
Mostly true as a description of Fetterman’s position, but misleading if presented as his exact words.
During televised interviews in 2026, Fetterman repeatedly attacked the Democratic Socialists of America and socialist candidates associated with the Democratic Party.
In a September appearance with Sean Hannity, he said he did not “get along with communists and socialists” and argued that every Democrat should condemn the DSA. He described the dispute as something that could not be accommodated under a “big tent.”
Most significantly, Fetterman said DSA members should have an entirely separate party and run on their own.
In another widely circulated exchange, he urged Democrats to “divorce” themselves from socialists and “run as real Democrats.”
Those statements clearly support the broad message that Fetterman wants socialists separated from the Democratic Party.
However, available transcripts do not show him using the precise viral wording: “It’s time to kick out every communist and socialist from the Democrat Party.”
The publisher converted several comments into a more dramatic headline.
What Fetterman Actually Said
The senator’s position can be reconstructed from his recorded interviews.
He argued that socialism had become too influential inside the Democratic coalition. He accused some socialist activists and candidates of coming from wealthy backgrounds while presenting themselves as champions of working people.
He called socialism a “scam,” said Democrats should condemn it and argued that socialists should stop operating inside the Democratic Party.
Fetterman also used the provocative phrase “an orgy of socialism” to characterize the party’s direction.
When Hannity asked whether the Democratic Party could still function as a broad coalition containing both traditional Democrats and DSA-aligned candidates, Fetterman rejected the idea. He said the socialists should form their own party.