Fetterman Claps Back At DeSantis After Senate Relaxes Dress Code: 'I Dress Like He Campaigns'

Zinger Key Points
  • Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer relaxed the Senate's dress code on Monday, enraging some members.
  • John Fetterman has been dressing casually on the Senate floor since publicly battling depression following a stroke last year.

While former President Donald Trump may be contemplating whether he’ll be wearing an orange jumpsuit in the wake of his numerous criminal trials, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman will be strolling the Senate floor wearing whatever he feels like.

What Happened: On Monday, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the Senate’s dress code will no longer be enforced for elected officials, although Schumer said he will continue to dress formally.

“Senators are able to choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit,” Schumer said in a statement, according to the AP.

Following a stroke that Fetterman suffered while campaigning for his seat last year, the Senator was hospitalized for depression and afterward returned to the Senate floor wearing more casual attire, which he said made him feel more comfortable, according to the outlet.

The Reaction: Fetterman’s colleagues offered mixed reactions to the new Senate rule. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut took advantage of the new leniency in attire, arriving at the Senate on Monday evening without wearing a tie.

Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall and Maine Sen. Susan Collins, both Republicans, showed dissatisfaction with the relaxed dress code, with the former calling it a “sad day in the Senate.”

Collins joking that she planned to wear a bikini on the Senate floor on Tuesday, said the AP.

Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming had harsher words about Schumer’s decision.

“This is a terribly sad development for the U.S. Senate," Lummis told Fox News. "I've never seen civility enhanced or a sense of decorum enhanced by dressing like a slob."

Florida Gov. and 2024 Republican presidential nominee Ron DeSantis took aim at Fetterman following the news, stating that "The U.S. Senate just eliminated its dress code because you got this guy from Pennsylvania [Fetterman] — who's got a lot of problems... he wears, like, sweatshirts and hoodies and shorts," the governor said. "We need to be lifting up our standards in this country, not dumbing down," according to Newsweek.

In response, Fetterman took to X, formerly Twitter, to clap back at DeSantis, quipping, “I dress like he [DeSantis] campaigns.

Read Next: Is It Hemp? Is It Weed? Is It Food Or Supplement? Congress Should Make It Clear In 2023 Farm Bill, Say Regulators 

Image: Shutterstock

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