In a recent interview, US Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) made a scathing comparison between his colleague, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and the fictional mobster Tony Soprano, the protagonist of the HBO show “The Sopranos.”
Menendez is currently under indictment on charges of bribery, corruption, and racketeering. Prosecutors allege that Menendez accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from a wealthy New Jersey businessman in exchange for political favors.
The PA senator joined MSNBC host Joy Reid on “The ReidOut” to discuss the situation on Tuesday evening. Reid posed the question to Fetterman, asking how he felt about being the first to call for a member of his own party to resign — and the Pennsylvania senator said that given the charges against Menendez, he was surprised no one else had beaten him to it.
“Honestly, I was actually surprised that I was the first one. I mean, it’s so black and white. I mean, it’s so clear,” Fetterman told Reid. “The last time there’s ever been a man with so much cash in their home in New Jersey was Tony Soprano. You know?”
“I mean, it’s not a — it’s not a — it’s not a close call, and if you were looking for the most incriminating kinds of evidence, nobody could even come up with gold bars in a mattress,” Fetterman continued. “So, and again, he’s entitled to have his day in court, but he is not entitled to remain in the Senate and he needs to go.”
“New Jersey is a safe, blue seat, and they have a governor ready to appoint somebody that’s ready to step in and make the kind of votes that he needs to do. And again, it’s never been about him. It’s about the Senate and the integrity, and he needs to go,” he said.
“Ted Cruz could show up dressed like Spiderman and I would be A-OK with that,” Fetterman joked. “I do think we have more important kinds of things to be worrying about, you know, whether it’s gold bars in a mattress or whether it’s the shutdown or the impeachment.”
.@JohnFetterman: “@tedcruz could show up dressed like Spiderman & I would be a-OK w/ that. I do think we have more important kinds of things to be worrying about, you know, whether it’s gold bars in a mattress or whether it’s the shutdown or the impeachment” pic.twitter.com/Fkt1AhTNiL
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 27, 2023
