U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) responded to criticism he has received since meeting with President Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago ahead of his inauguration earlier this month.

He told the co-hosts of “The View” that it is “part of the job” to engage with the president, adding that he would like to see more bipartisanship in the future. He has also faced criticism for his other positions on immigration and fracking, with some suggesting that he has shifted “rightward.”

“So maybe some people would be critical of that. But, for me, engaging the president, I think when you’re in this business, I mean, that’s, that’s part of the job,” he said on Monday when asked about the Mar-a-Lago trip.

“I’ve chosen not to add to the cheap heat online or go after those kinds of things. I don’t I’ve never found that helpful,” he added.

He also responded to some people suggesting that he will switch parties, telling the co-hosts that he would make a “terrible” Republican.

“Now there are those on the left who feel like you have made a rightward shift recently, going to Mar-a-Lago, joining Truth Social, your positions on issues like immigration, fracking. What do you say to those who are now, in a sense, questioning your commitment to Democratic Party?” co-host Sunny Hostin asked.

“So rightward… That’s just happens not to be true. I’ve been on record to saying I am not going to become a Republican, although maybe some people might be happy on one side, but I would make a pretty terrible Republican, because, you know, pro choice, pro really strong immigration, pro LGBTQ, just pretty like, I don’t think I’d be a good fit. So I’m not going to change my party,” Fetterman responded.

“And just look at my votes. Look at the things that I haven’t changed in a way,” he added.

Fetterman previously shot down rumors of him switching to the Republican Party last week, describing the suggestion as “amateur hour s–t” in an interview with Semafor.

“If they think, ‘oh, it’s going to be like a Manchin or a Sinema play,’ that’s just not true, and that’s not going to happen,” Fetterman told the outlet last week.

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