Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman said during a radio interview as a candidate last year he would adhere to whatever dress code was in place if he was elected to the Senate.
“Will you wear your hoodie on the Senate floor,” Fetterman was asked during an interview with the Big K Morning Show in early October 2022 on the campaign trail.
“I’m going to only wear what you’re supposed to wear and whatever dress code,” he responded.
“It’s really not about what I’m wearing, and if anyone that’s listening prefers somebody that dresses like a real person, or somebody that lives, excuse me, that wears a $5,000 fancy suit, then that’s really up to somebody. You can make your own conclusion.”
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Democratic U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman of Pennsylvania waves onstage at a watch party during the midterm elections (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
Since being elected the month after that interview and taking office in January, Fetterman has not adhered to the Senate dress code and has often been seen around the building wearing gym shorts and his trademark hoodie.
Additionally, Fetterman found a workaround to the legislative body’s dress code rules by voting from the doorway of the Democratic cloakroom or the side entrance, making sure his vote is recorded before ducking out.
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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., arrives for the “AI Insight Forum” at the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Sept. 13, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer quietly announced the Senate’s dress code has been relaxed, excluding visitors.
“Senators are able to choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit,” Schumer said in a statement.
The move sparked outrage from some conservatives who dubbed the change the “Fetterman Rule” and panned the idea of lowering the standards for physical appearance in the Senate.
“The Senate no longer enforcing a dress code for Senators to appease Fetterman is disgraceful,” Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X. “Dress code is one of society’s standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions. Stop lowering the bar!”
Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman reacts to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s announcement of an impeachment inquiry against President Biden Sept. 12, 2023. (Screenshot/NBC)
Fetterman’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital Tuesday.
“I don’t know why the right side seems to be losing their minds over it, like, ahhhhh dogs and cats are living together and, you know, like the world spinning off its axis,” Fetterman told Fox News Digital in an interview Monday. “But, you know, I think it’s a good thing.”
