Sen. John Fetterman slammed a recent Wall Street Journal report in which former aides accused him of apathy toward his work and regularly skipping meetings with his constituents — claims that the Pennsylvania Democrat described to CNN on Sunday as “smears” by “disgruntled staffers” trying to ruin his reputation.
“Per usual — lies, half-truths, innuendos, smears and anonymous,” Fetterman told the outlet of the Journal’s story from Thursday, which cited more than a dozen former staffers, lawmakers, text messages and other records that reveal his tendency to prioritize conservative media and foreign governments than serving his constituents as a U.S. senator.
The senator broke his silence to CNN after he had not responded to the Journal’s requests for comment on the original story. In a statement to the network, he addressed three of the leaked texts the Journal published, arguing they were “stripped of any context and circumstances.”
One startling example involved Fetterman allegedly skipping a long-scheduled meeting with three paralyzed veterans in June who wanted to talk about legislation to improve healthcare access. According to the Journal, Fetterman claimed he was sick to get out of the meeting, only to soon after arrive in good health for a Fox News appearance in which he advocated Israel’s position in the Iran war.
“It was my intention to meet with the group,” the senator told CNN. “Prior to the meeting I was at home throwing up, so I asked my staff to continue with the meeting, which they did. Hours later, I felt well enough to continue the day as scheduled.”
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Another egregious moment, according to the Journal, involved Fetterman asking his staff why he had to “keep having to meet” with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). When one aide reportedly told him the hospital is worried about cuts to Medicaid, the senator answered: “Well, I’m not.”
Fetterman told CNN the comment was a “dumb joke, and for that, I sincerely apologize.”
The Journal also reported that Fetterman skipped a funeral for three police officers who were killed near his hometown last year, calling the service a “nonstarter” due to its three-hour length. The senator told CNN he’s since taken steps to express his condolences and privately meet with family members.
“On the day of that tragedy, we privately ordered flowers to be delivered for their families and expressed my condolences publicly,” he told the network, citing an X post expressing his grief. The response didn’t actually address his decision to skip the funeral and complain about its length.
Some former Fetterman staffers appear to have also just created an anonymous account on X saying they’re “disgusted with what he’s become” and intend to release more details about the controversial lawmaker next week, when the Senate is back in session.
“If you were troubled by yesterday’s Wall Street Journal story… trust us, that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” the account posted Friday. “It’s even worse than you thought.”
Fetterman’s rift with his staffers did not start with the Journal’s bombshell report. Last year, New York Magazine reported on a 2024 letter from Fetterman’s former chief of staff Adam Jentleson, who resigned over the senator’s alarming behavior. Fetterman experienced a stroke in 2022 and was hospitalized for depression a year later. He has been open about his recovery for both.
“There are many crazy things about this story, but one is that this is an entirely new group of staff who have rotated in and apparently find themselves horrified at Fetterman’s behavior,” Jentleson said on social media of the Journal’s report, clarifying that he is not one of the former staffers who created the joint X account.
Fetterman’s fellow Pennsylvania senator, Republican Dave McCormick, came to the Democrat’s aid following the Journal’s report.
“These stories are the latest example of outrageously disloyal staff and forces on the Left using anonymous leaks to cancel my friend John Fetterman. They hate that he is an independent thinker who refuses to fall into line so they want to silence him,” McCormick said Sunday on social media, adding that the two will “continue to work to deliver for Pennsylvania.”
The reality is that Fetterman’s behavior has led to both parties distancing themselves from him. The senator has faced backlash from Democrats for seemingly spending more time with the opposition and tearing down his own party, at one point threatening to leave if Democrats become too critical of Israel.
“John Fetterman is a disgrace,” Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Penn.) wrote on X. “Our state deserves better than a lazy trust fund baby who is too lazy to do the job.”