On Oct. 23, the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and Dartmouth Dialogues co-hosted an event with Sen. John Fetterman, D-PA, titled “Policy, Party and Polarization: A Conversation with Senator John Fetterman” as part of its 2024 Election Speaker Series. The event, which was held in Filene Auditorium, sparked pro-Palestinian protests inside and outside the venue — resulting in the arrests of two individuals who interrupted the discussion.
The event was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters on two separate occasions. In the first disruption, the protesters left the event “without incident,” The Dartmouth reported. The second time, approximately 26 minutes into the conversation, Fetterman — who described himself as “fully supportive” of Israel in the Israel-Hamas war in a recent interview with The New York Times — was interrupted by Greyson Xiao ’25 and Registrar’s Office service specialist Emma Herndon, who began issuing pro-Palestinian chants. The two were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
In an interview prior to the event, Fetterman told The Dartmouth that it is “their right” to protest.
“I’ve never been offended or hurt by that,” he said. “It’s good and it’s understandable … I would just hope that someone can agree, or disagree, but that we could have a conversation about that.”
The event was moderated by Tuck professor and Center for Business, Government and Society faculty director Charles Wheelan, Dartmouth Conservatives president Alexander Azar III ’25 and Dartmouth Democrats secretary Bea Reichman ’27. Two hundred people attended the event in-person, while an additional 100 viewers joined remotely via YouTube livestream.
In an interview before the event, government professor Herschel Nachlis, who instructs GOVT 30.17, “The 2024 Election,” along with government professors Russel Muirhead and William Wohlforth, said the idea of inviting Fetterman came up “through a number of channels” because of the senator’s “quick rise to national prominence” and “complicated ideology and partisanship.”
“The thought from many corners around campus is that Senator Fetterman is a really interesting national political player that reflects a lot of cross-cutting issues and tensions from [the] left and right and from Democrats and Republicans,” Nachlis said. “He will be a really interesting person to bring to campus.”
Azar said in an interview after the event that it was “nice” that students had the opportunity to engage with a nationally-recognizable federal official.
“I think it’s nice to have a really open discussion with a sitting U.S. senator and in such a public environment,” he said.
The event opened with a discussion about voting in Pennsylvania — a pivotal swing state in the 2024 presidential race — and its role in the upcoming election. Fetterman explained that in 2020, mail-in ballots could not be counted until 7 a.m. on election day, which caused a “gigantic backlog” that prompted theories that the vote had been “manipulated.” Fetterman added that this is no longer the case.
Reichman asked whether Fetterman believed the Republican pursuit of mental health legislation is “sincere” or an “excuse” to prevent Democratic gun control policy.
“I’m very much a Second Amendment kind of guy, but I also think it shouldn’t be controversial … [to not] want [guns] to not be in the hands of people that can harm themselves, or someone that we know or love,” Fetterman said.
Wheelan then asked about the impact of both parties “fighting for working-class votes” in Pennsylvania.
Fetterman, who won his 2022 Senate race on a working-class message, said there has been an “undeniable shift” among Pennsylvanian union members toward Republicans. He advised other Democrats to focus on messaging that highlights pro-union policies.
“One [issue Democrats] definitely agree on is that you have the right to organize, to be in a union and to have a good wage and a comfortable way of life for you and your family,” he said. “That’s fair, and that’s fundamentally American.”
The conversation then turned to issues of foreign policy, including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. In response to a question from Reichman about Democrats’ “diverse” opinions on the Israel-Hamas War, Fetterman said his party can disagree and still “respect” one another.
Fetterman described his “views” on Israel as an “outlier” among fellow Democrats. Twenty-six of Fetterman’s Senate colleagues have called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
“I never had an opinion or a statement on Netanyahu, one way or the other,” Fetterman said. “For me, [he’s] a democratic leader of that nation, and that’s [a U.S.] ally.”
At this point, protesters interrupted the event to call Fetterman a “liar” and ask him to “think of his children” and the children in Gaza. In response, Fetterman said he “grieve[s] the … death and misery.”
Azar continued by asking if Fetterman was “disillusioned” by his fellow Democrats’ “tepid” support for Israel. While he said he was “maybe disappointed,” Fetterman explained that he was not “offended or outraged” by disagreements in his party and is looking toward “a way to move through this.”
“Ultimately, more than anything else, I just would love to see that the hostages are brought back home,” Fetterman added.
The second group of protesters then interrupted the event to chant “Free Palestine,” before they were removed by the Hanover Police Department.
The moderators then shifted the conversation to a discussion on free speech on college campuses. In response to a question from Azar about the 89 individuals arrested last May at a protest on the Green, Fetterman said he believes speech should not “break” the “rules of engagement.”
“Free speech does not give you the right to terrorize people,” Fetterman said. “Or to say things that are openly calling for violence or creating a level of discomfort and even fear in a community that’s already been traumatized.”
In his interview with The Dartmouth, Fetterman said he spoke with College President Sian Leah Beilock earlier in the day about dialogue on college campuses.
“One of her commitments is to help train future leaders to have the ability to have a discussion or an open dialogue with people that you disagree with, and do it in a way that perhaps there’s a new understanding, or at least in a way that we can be productive,” he said.
The conversation closed with a discussion about the general election. Fetterman expressed doubt that the Make America Great Again movement will survive without a Trump victory in this election.
In answering Reichman’s question regarding how young people can “make a difference,” Fetterman noted rising polarization. Young people should “challenge themselves” and listen to individuals with whom they disagree, he added. In particular, those who wish to go into politics should go in “eyes open,” he said.
“We do need good ones,” he said. “We do need committed ones. I don’t care what side. Republican, Independent, I don’t care what they are. Just be a good one.”
