Senator John Fetterman has openly criticized Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner after Krasner compared some ICE agents to “wannabe Nazis,” a remark that quickly set off a political firestorm. Fetterman said the language was dangerous and irresponsible, arguing that it risks encouraging violence and crosses a line that should never be crossed in public debate.
Krasner responded forcefully, accusing Fetterman of betraying the values he once campaigned on. Speaking on CNN, Krasner said Fetterman has “completely sold out,” claiming the senator has increasingly aligned himself with rhetoric and positions that appeal to Donald Trump rather than Democratic principles. Krasner went so far as to describe Fetterman as Trump’s favorite Democratic senator, suggesting that praise from Trump reflects how far Fetterman has drifted from the ideals of democracy and the rule of law.
Krasner emphasized that his disappointment was personal as well as political, noting that he voted for Fetterman. He said that for reasons he declined to fully spell out, Fetterman’s recent behavior has become unacceptable for anyone who genuinely believes in democratic norms and legal accountability.
The clash intensified after conservative media outlets highlighted comments Krasner made earlier in the week, when he described ICE agents as “a small bunch of wannabe Nazis.” He added that “we outnumber them” and warned that people who abuse power could one day be “hunted down,” referencing how Nazi war criminals were pursued after World War II. Those comments drew swift condemnation from Fetterman, who appeared on Fox News to denounce the comparison in the strongest terms.
Fetterman said comparing anyone to Nazis is “gross” and should never be done, stressing that such rhetoric can inflame tensions and incite violence. He made it clear that, in his view, ICE agents are not Nazis and that language like Krasner’s only makes an already volatile situation worse.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of Fetterman’s increasingly complicated political positioning. While he previously criticized Trump for spreading false claims about the 2020 election, he later broke with most Democrats by supporting Trump’s 2024 nomination of Pam Bondi for attorney general. He has also pushed back on Democrats such as Kamala Harris for labeling Trump a fascist. Trump himself praised Fetterman last year, calling him “the most sensible” Democrat, a remark that further fueled criticism from figures like Krasner.
Meanwhile, Krasner has taken a hard line against federal authorities following recent deadly encounters involving immigration enforcement. After the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti, Krasner pledged to prosecute federal officers who break state laws. He aligned himself with a group of prosecutors calling themselves “Fight Against Federal Overreach,” or F.A.F.O., a deliberately provocative acronym that echoes a phrase popular among some Trump administration figures, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Political tensions around immigration enforcement have been running especially high after an ICE officer killed Renee Good earlier this month and Border Patrol officers were caught on video fatally shooting Pretti. When asked on CNN whether he could have made his point without invoking Nazis, Krasner refused to back down. He argued that the tactics being used mirror historical abuses of power and said he saw no reason to soften the comparison.
Krasner clarified that he was not accusing all ICE agents of being Nazis. He acknowledged that many federal officers do their jobs honorably. However, he insisted that any officer who commits serious crimes, including homicide, should be treated like anyone else under the justice system.
He said his core argument was simple: people who kill others can be tracked down and held accountable, even decades later. He pointed to long-running investigations such as the Golden State Killer case as proof that justice can take time but still be delivered. According to Krasner, this principle applied not only to Nazi war criminals, but to all individuals who commit severe crimes, regardless of their position or authority.
The sharp exchange between Krasner and Fetterman has highlighted growing divisions within the Democratic Party over immigration enforcement, political rhetoric, and how far officials should go when condemning federal actions in an already heated national climate.
