But he shared that Mr Fetterman and his wife Gisele had dined at their house and heard his family’s stories about Israel and what it meant to them.
“Whether that had an influence or impact or not, I really couldn’t say,” he added.
When not in Washington, Mr Fetterman still lives in Braddock, the steel town which he has served as mayor for 13 years, just five miles from the Tree of Life Synagogue.
He went on to defeat Mr Bartos in 2018 to become Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant governor, a post he held until he took up his seat in the US Senate in 2023.
Mr Fetterman’s senate campaign focused on progressive priorities including criminal justice reform, abolishing the death penalty and legalizing cannabis. His victory spanned far beyond the Democratic heartlands of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, into red districts.
Mr. Fetterman was no stranger to press scrutiny before he even arrived in Washington.
His senate race was the most closely-watched in the country and took a dramatic turn when he was hospitalized with a serious stroke at the pinnacle of the campaign.
He was later hospitalized for six weeks to have treatment for clinical depression.
He has partially attributed his willingness to be outspoken to the perspective his recovery has afforded him, although more cynical minds would suggest Mr Fetterman can afford to speak freely on the issue since he does not face re-election until 2028.
Mr Biden’s campaign is already aware of the jeopardy the Middle East conflict poses at home, with thousands of young and Left-wing voters casting protest ballots during the Democratic primaries and threatening not to turn out in the general election.
Both Mr Biden and Mr Fetterman’s messaging on Israel will be put to the test in Pennsylvania this November, a crucial state for the party’s hopes of retaining both the US Senate and the White House.
At least one poll, from Quinnipiac University, suggests Mr Fetterman’s outspoken rhetoric has not hurt him, with around a quarter of voters saying they viewed him more favorably since he began expressing strong support for Israel. Fourteen per cent said it made them think less favorably of him.
He is unphased by progressives’ threats to stay home in November and potentially hand Donald Trump a second term, declaring with trademark candour: “If the voters turn their backside to the stove, that fire is going to burn.”
