John Fetterman and Ron DeSantis
John Fetterman and Ron DeSantis (Photo: Shutterstock)

Many in the Republican party have reacted with anger that officials at the Senate have relaxed the dress code in recent days.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that staff for the chamber’s Sergeant-at-Arms — the Senate’s official clothes police — will no longer enforce a dress code on the Senate floor.

Some believe the change is specifically to allow Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman to dress as he pleases. Fetterman is known for embracing casual attire, including hoodies.

Presidential wannabe Ron DeSantis was among those to raise the issue whilst on the campaign trail. Florida Governor DeSantis told a rally audience, “The US 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 […] We need to be lifting up our standards in this country, not dumbing down.”

Fetterman is a stroke survivor. He has also spent time in a mental health facility in recent months to undergo treatment for depression.

Fetterman responded to DeSantis on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying, self-deprecatingly, “I dress like he campaigns.”

Fetterman’s tweet has had over 70,000 likes and earned praise.

In fact, DeSantis wasn’t the only person Fetterman took down with the same barb. He also had a swipe at political pundit and analyst Nate Silver.

Marjorie Taylor Greene

Among others to lash out at Fetterman was Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylore Greene. She took to X to talk about the importance of etiquette.

Yes, really.

“The Senate no longer enforcing a dress code for Senators to appease Fetterman is disgraceful,” Greene said. “Dress code is one of society’s standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions. Stop lowering the bar!”

Many responded by suggesting Greene entering Congress marked the lowering of the bar. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minnesota) was also unimpressed.

Fetterman also clapped back at Greene. He reminded her of the time she thought it appropriate to display intimate photos of Hunter Biden at a recent hearing.

“Thankfully, the nation’s lower chamber lives by a higher code of conduct: displaying ding-a-ling pics in public hearings.”

Greene couldn’t resist responding. She suggested Fetterman is still recovering from the impact of his stroke.

“The meetings are called committee hearings not meetings,” Greene clarified. “And the evidence I showed in the Oversight committee hearing was about Hunter Biden violating the Mann Act, which is human sex trafficking across state lines. This is against the law Senator, and you should take it seriously.

“I sincerely hope you are able to overcome the severe debilitating effects from the stroke that you’ve suffered.

“And you should be able to wear a suit and consider it a privilege to dress the part of a Senator elected to the United States Senate.”

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