By Sarah Ferris

(CNN) — Democratic Sen. John Fetterman praised his Republican colleague from his home state, Sen. Dave McCormick, in a surprise video appearance at the GOP midterm convention, and condemned the rise of far-left voices in his own party.

In the roughly one-minute video introducing McCormick on stage, Fetterman made clear that he is still a Democrat. But took aim at the rise of “socialism” in his own party – a notable and public rebuke to the Democrats’ left flank.

“Yes, I’m a Democrat. Why am I here talking to you today? Because well, I’m a common sense Democrat. I’m always going to stand with America. I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life,” Fetterman said in the pre-recorded video.

Fetterman also said he will work with President Donald Trump. “We’ll work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way of life right here in the steel valley,” he said.

Fetterman reiterated in a statement afterward he intended to remain a Democrat if power changed hands after the midterm.

“I’m a lifelong Democrat who votes overwhelmingly with my party – and should the Senate flip in November, I will still be the 51st vote than I ran on,” he said.

But his video drew some quick condemnations from some Democrats in his state, including Rep. Chris Deluzio, the congressman for Pennsylvania’s 17th district, who jabbed at Fetterman for not appearing at the convention in person. (Earlier this week, Fetterman had lashed out at former aides who accused him of showing indifference toward his work and of routinely skipping constituent meetings.)

“Too lazy to do it in person. Checks out,” Deluzio wrote in a post on X.

State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who unsuccessfully challenged Fetterman in the 2022 Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary, echoed the disapproval.

“John is Benedict Arnold, but lazy. Could barely get off the couch in his million-dollar mansion to kiss Trump’s ring, he phoned it in like everything he does,” Kenyatta posted.

Fetterman, who is strongly pro-Israel, has spent months distancing himself from the rest of his party, voting for some of Trump’s nominees and backing the president’s military actions in the Middle East. He has previously told CNN’s Manu Raju that he does not plan to leave the party unless it becomes officially “anti-Israel.”

Fetterman is perhaps Trump’s closest Democratic ally in Congress, but the video is an unusual move for the first-term senator, who skipped his own party’s convention in 2024 and has become an increasingly divisive figure among Democrats.

“A year ago I labeled John Fetterman ‘Trump’s favorite Democrat,’” Democratic Pennsylvania Rep. Brendan Boyle posted on X. “Tonight, he yet again proves why.”

In the video Wednesday, Fetterman praised McCormick as “the kind of senator that gets the job done.”

“I’m proud to count him as my friend,” he said.

Fetterman echoed those comments in the statement afterward, saying though he and McCormick are in different parties, “we are both Team PA.”

“How great is John Fetterman, right?” McCormick said when he took the stage after the video message. “Thank you Senator Fetterman for your friendship, thank you for your courage and thank you for all you do for Pennsylvania.”

This story has been updated with additional details.

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