Leaks to media about Fetterman are a coordinated smear campaign, Hill colleagues say

Fox News

09-05-2025

The media's pile-on of Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., reached the point where both Republicans and Democrats were lamenting the rhetorical blows landing on the hulking Pittsburgh-area lawmaker by Friday.
"This is so blatantly coordinated," remarked media observer and Fox News contributor Joe Concha, who shared a link in his X post to a Politico report claiming an internal Democratic poll found Fetterman's popularity faltering in his part of the Keystone State.
The report claimed Fetterman had now fallen below 50% in Democratic voter support in the Steel City, just a few miles west of Braddock, where he was previously mayor.
Fox News Digital cannot verify the veracity of the poll's findings.
"I know a hit piece when I see one," added Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y.
"The only reason for the coordinated campaign against Senator John Fetterman is his unapologetic pro-Israel politics," wrote Torres, a Bronx Democrat who also bucks his party on Israel, but is also considered a high-profile progressive.
"Let's call it what it is. As someone who has struggled with depression my whole adult life, I can tell you that if you truly care about someone's mental health, leaking hit pieces against them is a strange way of showing it."
Swing-state Pennsylvania has a history of politically opposed senators forging close relationships — such as Republican Pat Toomey and Democrat Bob Casey Jr. for many years.
That trend continued Friday when Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa., stuck up for Fetterman, saying in a statement that "it's time to put politics aside and stop these vicious, personal attacks against Senator Fetterman, his wife, and his health."
"While we have many differences, we are both committed to working together to achieve results for the people of Pennsylvania and make their lives better," McCormick wrote.
The Republican called the Democrat "authentic, decent, principled and a fighter," and ripped the "disgraceful smears" he has seen in recent times.
Philadelphia radio host Nick Kayal remarked on X that he's seen more reports critical of Fetterman's health in four days than were seen in the press about former President Joe Biden in four years.
"Wonder why," he asked rhetorically.
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, added that "the media ought to lay off Senator Fetterman."
A former UPenn student who spoke out on national media against the anti-Semitic protests on campus also came to Fetterman's defense, slamming the "hit pieces" as of late.
"If you're a Democrat and oppose the woke mob, you're enemy #1 of the legacy media," wrote Eyal Yakoby, who also posted a previous photo he took with Fetterman.
Conservative former Pittsburgh news anchor and radio host Wendy Bell remarked on X that the Fetterman attacks are "so weird."
"The New York Magazine hit piece on John Fetterman didn't hit enough to stick the landing. Now it's the AP's turn. This is journalism? No, this is propaganda," Bell wrote.
"The Code Red has been issued on Fetterman," Concha followed up in another X post.
"And of course, our wonderful media follows that order as if Col. Jessup ordered it himself," he said, referring to Jack Nicholson's crooked Marine Corps officer character in 1992's "A Few Good Men."
Later on Friday, more Republicans came to Fetterman's defense, including Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.
"John Fetterman and I have our differences, but he's a decent and genuine guy," Cotton wrote.
"The radical left is smearing him with dishonest, vicious attacks because he's pro-Israel and they only want reliable anti-Israel politicians. Disgraceful."
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., also pushed back on the media, calling Fetterman a "tremendous friend and colleague."
"It's a complete disgrace what agenda-driven members of the media and his own party are doing to attack him, all because he dares to be an independent thinker and voice. Proud to stand with John," she wrote.