Democrat Senator John Fetterman received high praise from President Donald Trump for being ‘right’ about ICE agents on Wednesday – something he thinks may make his parents proud. 

Fetterman has criticized Democrats who want to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or ‘treat them as criminals.’   

And he’s said any attack on ICE agents are ‘absolutely unacceptable. Terrible. Awful.’

Earlier, Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked the president what he makes of the moderate’s defense of ICE as they have been targeted in cities like Los Angeles while conducting deportation operations.  

‘The new John Fetterman is exactly what you said – he’s right, he’s right,’ Trump responded during a White House meeting.

‘And we have to protect our police officers, and we will.’

Speaking exclusively with the Daily Mail, the senator responded that Trump’s praise of him probably ‘made my parents proud.’ 

‘They’re big Fox News viewers,’ Fetterman continued. ‘My whole family is Republican.’

Fetterman has been embraced by the Republican president on several occasions.

President Donald Trump heaped praise on Democrat Senator John Fetterman for the lawmaker condemning violence against ICE agents 

The Democrat said Wednesday that calls for attacking ICE agents are ‘absolutely unacceptable. Terrible. Awful’

The Pennsylvanian was the only Democrat to meet with Trump at his Florida home Mar-a-Lago during the presidential transition in January. 

‘I just, I was invited to have a conversation with the president and that I did. And that’s what happened,’ he later told ABC News of the meeting. 

‘Overall, it was a positive experience. I mean, he was kind, he was cordial. It wasn’t in any kind of theater,’ Fetterman later disclosed of their meeting on ABC’s The View.

‘It wasn’t trying to get your picture taken to kind of put something out on social media. It was just, really, a conversation. We actually spoke for over an hour.’

Trump had an equally rosy takeaway from the Florida meeting. 

‘He’s a commonsense person. He’s not liberal or conservative. He’s just a commonsense person, which is beautiful,’ the president told the Washington Examiner. 

The unlikely duo have shared interests spanning a number of topics, including supporting Israel, bombing Iran and some of the president’s immigration agenda. 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., left, and Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., right, participate in a debate at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, Monday, June 2, 2025. At the event Fetterman said he supported additional funding from Congress to support border security efforts 

Fetterman called for Trump to bomb the Middle Eastern country before the commander-in-chief ordered strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last month, he also agreed with increasing spending for border initiatives. 

‘I absolutely support those kinds of investments to make our border security as well,’ the Democrat said of Trump’s request for increased border funding at a town hall with fellow Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick.  

Fetterman even went as far as introducing Republican strategist Jeff Bartos, Trump’s nominee to serve as Representative of U.S. to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, during his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday. 

‘It’s becoming increasingly controversial to have friends in different political parties,’ the Democrat later wrote on X. ‘I’m proud to support and introduce Jeff Bartos at his confirmation hearing today to be the next Ambassador to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform.’

‘Jeff is a native of PA, a good friend, and has the skills and determination to bring integrity back to the United Nations on behalf of our great country. I hope my own colleagues will support his nomination despite the politics.’