Is political politeness making a comeback?

OPINION:

A strange thing is happening in Washington. In an era defined by partisan vitriol, two of the most unconventional figures on opposite ends of the political spectrum are suddenly singing from a similar hymn sheet: a call for kindness.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, both known for their firebrand politics, are now publicly bucking their respective parties and toning down their rhetoric. Is this the start of a new, gentler political discourse, or just a temporary ceasefire in the culture wars?

For Ms. Greene, the pivot came after a very public and personal rift with President Trump. After years as one of his most ferocious allies, she found herself on the receiving end of his trademark attacks. The final straw, she said, was Mr. Trump’s calling her a traitor for her decision to support the release of the so-called Jeffrey Epstein files, a move Mr. Trump would later support as his coalition of facilitators fell apart.

“The most hurtful thing he said, which is absolutely untrue, is he called me a traitor, and that is so extremely wrong,” Ms. Greene said on CNN, adding that such words “can radicalize people against me and put my life in danger.”

When pressed on why she spoke out against such language only when it was aimed at her, Ms. Greene offered a surprising mea culpa. “I would like to say, humbly, I’m sorry for taking part in the toxic politics; it’s very bad for our country,” she said. “I’m only responsible for myself and my own words and actions … and I’ve been working on this a lot lately, to put down the knives in politics.”

This from a lawmaker whose political brand was built on lobbing insults, spreading conspiracies, and calling a fellow congresswoman “a little b——” on the House floor. It’s a dramatic departure, sparked not only by a change of heart but also by a taste of her own medicine.

Her break with the MAGA monolith became even clearer at a press conference where she slammed Mr. Trump for his “traitor” comment. “I was called a traitor by a man that I fought … six years for, and I gave him my loyalty for free,” she said. “I’ve never owed him anything.” Ms. Greene’s new mantra? “I only take people’s actions seriously, no longer words.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman is charting a similarly independent course. Elected as a staunch liberal, Mr. Fetterman recently made headlines for siding with Republicans on key votes and rejecting the hard-line rhetoric of his own party.

“If you want a Democrat that’s going to call people Nazis or fascists or all these kinds of things, well, I’m not going to be that guy,” Mr. Fetterman said on Fox News, a place where few Democrats are brave enough to appear.

Like Ms. Greene, he insists his loyalty is to his principles, not his party. “No, no, I’m not going to switch,” he said when asked whether he would leave the Democrats. “But I’m just going to be an independent voice in the Democratic Party. I’m not going to be afraid of people.”

From his staunch support of Israel to his willingness to work across the aisle to avert a government shutdown, Mr. Fetterman has become an unpredictable outlier. “Independent thinking and views wherever I happen to believe the truth, regardless if it’s the Republican or the Democratic voice,” he said. That is a rare — sadly, extremely rare — perspective on Capitol Hill these days.

So we have two political provocateurs, once seen as avatars of their parties’ most extreme wings, now advocating for a more measured and independent approach. Ms. Greene, chastened by a clash with her former idol, now wants to “see people be kind to one another.” Mr. Fetterman, distancing himself from his liberal roots, is refusing to engage in partisan name-calling.

Is it a genuine shift toward a more functional, less toxic Washington? Or is it simply a strategic rebranding for two politicians who found themselves on the outs with their respective party establishments? Perhaps the lesson here is simpler: In politics, as in life, it’s easy to call for civility once you’ve felt the sting of its absence.

• Joseph Curl covered the White House and politics for a decade for The Washington Times. He can be reached at josephcurl@gmail.com and on Twitter @josephcurl.