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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fetterman Hits Back at ‘Weird Smear' After Call to Step Aside Over Mental Health
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman pushed back against criticism as he faces ongoing questions about his mental health and job performance in Washington. The Democratic lawmaker appeared alongside his fellow Pennsylvania Senator David McCormick on Monday and rejected accusations that he is not engaged in his job. 'For me, it's very clear, it's just part of this weird, this weird smear,' Fetterman said. The senator said he's been getting 'incoming' over his stance on Israel, the border, and not voting to shut the government down. He pushed for the conversation to move during his appearance in Boston at 'The Senate Project', which aired on Fox Nation. 'I'm here. I'm doing my job. I'm defending on all those things, and all of those important votes, I've always been there,' Fetterman said. 'And for me, if I miss some of those votes, I mean some of those votes, I've made 90 percent of them, and we all know those votes that I've missed were on Monday. Those are travel days, and I have three young kids,' Fetterman continued. He dismissed counts he had missed as 'throwaway procedural votes,' which were not important. Fetterman's comments came after a scathing op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday in which the paper's editorial board wrote he 'must take his position seriously.' It noted the series of recent reports of erratic behavior, the senator missing and canceling meetings, and not showing up for more votes than nearly every other senator in the past two years. 'If Fetterman can't handle the attention or perform his job, then in the best interest of the country and the nearly 13 million residents of Pennsylvania he represents, he should step aside,' it wrote. The editorial is the latest in an avalanche of Fetterman criticism since a bombshell New York Magazine report a month ago detailed former staffers raising alarms over the senator's mental state. Fettrman blasted it as a hit piece. On Monday, Fetterman claimed Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Patty Murray missed more votes than him. 'Why aren't the left media yelling and demanding them and claiming they're not doing their job?' Fetterman asked. According to tracking by Fetterman missed 174 out of 961 roll call votes, or 18.1 percent of votes from February 2023 to May 2025 and more than 21 percent of the votes in the last Congress. It noted that it is much worse than the median of 2.9 percent of votes senators have missed. Since taking office in 1993, Murray has missed 2.6 percent of votes, and 1.6 percent of votes in the last Congress. Sanders has missed 13.4 percent of votes since 1991, or 9.4 percent of votes in the last Congress.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fetterman Loses Another Top Staffer Amid Escalating Health Concerns
Sen. John Fetterman is losing another one of his staff members amid growing, reported concerns over his well-being. The Pennsylvania Democrat's chief of staff, Krysta Sinclair Juris, will be leaving his office soon and will be replaced by Cabelle St. John, who previously worked as his deputy chief of staff, senior adviser, and scheduling director. Axios was the first to report the news on Tuesday. 'Cabelle St. John has been a trusted advisor since day 1 in the office. I'm lucky to have her taking over as my Chief of Staff and I'm confident she'll do a great job,' Fetterman told Axios in a statement. 'I'm grateful for Krysta's work. She's been an invaluable member of the team for over two years and I wish her all the best.' Over the past year and a half, a pool of Fetterman's staff, including top communication aides and his legislative director, have left his office with two aides even departing as recently as May. Fetterman's former chief of staff Adam Jentleson, whom Juris succeeded, also left his post and notably expressed his concern over the senator's health in an explosive report for New York Magazine last month, where he argued that Fetterman was 'struggling in a way that shouldn't be hidden from the public.' The senator subsequently brushed off New York Magazine's report as a 'hit piece,' and told NBC News in a statement: 'It's a one-source story, with a couple of anonymous sources, hit piece from a very left publication. There's really nothing more to say about that.' He again scrutinized the growing, reported concerns over his health as a 'weird smear' campaign against him during a debate in Boston on Monday. 'For me, it's very clear. It's just part of this weird, this weird smear,' the senator said. 'I'm here. I'm doing that job. I'm defending all those things, and all of those important votes, I've always been there.' According to tracking by Fetterman missed 174 out of 961 roll call votes, or 18.1 percent of votes from February 2023 to May 2025, and more than 21 percent of the votes in the last Congress. The median of votes senators have missed is 2.9 percent.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Philadelphia paper warns Fetterman to take Senate job seriously – ‘or step away'
The Philadelphia Inquirer's editorial board has issued a sharp rebuke of Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman in a new opinion piece, urging him to take his job 'seriously' and writing that 'it's time for Fetterman to serve Pennsylvanians, or step away.' In a strongly worded piece published on Sunday, the editorial board of the Philadelphia Inquirer, which endorsed Fetterman during his 2022 Senate campaign, said the first-term Democrat 'has missed more votes than nearly every other senator in the past two years' and 'regularly skips committee hearings, cancels meetings, avoids the daily caucus lunches with colleagues, and rarely goes on the Senate floor'. The editorial board also wrote that six former Fetterman staffers told an Inquirer reporter that Fetterman was frequently absent or spent hours alone in his office, avoiding colleagues and meetings. 'Being an elected official comes with public scrutiny,' the board wrote. 'If Fetterman can't handle the attention or perform his job, then in the best interest of the country and the nearly 13 million residents of Pennsylvania he represents, he should step aside.' Related: Republican senator criticized for mock apology after saying 'we all are going to die' 'Being an elected representative is a privilege, not an entitlement,' it added. 'Being a US senator is a serious job that requires full-time engagement.' Fetterman responded to the piece and allegations on Monday during a Fox News debate with Republican senator David McCormick. 'For me, it's very clear, it's just part of like this weird – this weird smear,' Fetterman said. 'The more kinds of, left kind of media continues to have these kinds of an attack, and it's just part of a smear and that's just not … it's just not accurate.' He continued: 'I've always been there, and for me, if I miss some of those votes, I've made 90% of them, and we all know those votes that I've missed were on Monday. Those are travel days and I have three young kids and … those are throwaway procedural votes that … they were never determined if they were important. That's a choice that I made.' Fetterman also reportedly claimed senators Bernie Sanders and Patty Murray had missed more votes than he has. 'Why aren't the left media yelling and demanding them and claiming they're not doing their job?' Fetterman said. In response, a spokesperson for Murray told Politico that most of her missed votes occurred during a vote-a-rama when her husband was hospitalized. A spokesperson for Sanders did not immediately respond to request for comment from Politico, but the outlet pointed out that according to data from a government transparency site, Sanders has missed 836 of 6,226 rollcall votes since 1991, or about 13.4%. Murray has missed 290 of 11,106 rollcall votes since 1993, or roughly 2.6%. By comparison, Politico reported that Fetterman has missed 174 of 961 rollcall votes, approximately 18.1%, in his first term, according to The editorial on Sunday comes as last month, New York magazine published an article on Fetterman which quoted several former and current Fetterman staffers who expressed concerns about the Senator's mental and physical health, and his behavior. In response, Fetterman dismissed the piece, calling it 'a one-source story, with a couple anonymous sources' and labeling it a 'hit piece from a very left publication'.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fetterman defends mental health, desire to stay Congress
Sen. John Fetterman is pushing back on reports that he no longer wants to serve in Congress. At a debate with Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) Monday morning, Fetterman claimed that the media is trying to 'smear' him over his lack of public appearances, including for congressional votes. 'I'm here. I'm doing that job,' Fetterman (D-Pa.) said. 'For me, if I miss some of those quotes — I mean some of those votes — I've made 90 percent of them and, and we all know those votes that I've missed were on Monday; those are travel days, and I have three young kids, and I — those are throwaway procedural votes. … That's a choice that I made, and if you want to attack me for that, go ahead.' Fetterman's office did not immediately respond to POLITICO's request for comment. The first-term senator has come under fire from progressives and others both in Congress and his home state over his voting record and alleged outbursts toward staffers. Fetterman suffered a stroke shortly before winning the 2022 Senate primary and was admitted to the hospital, where doctors removed a clot. In February 2023, Fetterman announced he was seeking treatment for severe depression. Many applauded Fetterman for being candid about his mental health struggles. But a bombshell New York magazine report this month alleged that current and former staffers are concerned about Fetterman's mental and physical health. Top Democrats have yet to come to Fetterman's defense, and at least one Pennsylvanian progressive organization called on Fetterman to resign, citing the senator's voting record and 'disdainful attitude' toward constituents. 'You have failed to fulfill the most basic duties of the office by avoiding contact with your constituents who can't even leave voicemails after business hours, refusing to hold town halls, yelling at visitors in your office and inexcusably missing more votes than any other member of the current Senate,' the letter from Indivisible Pennsylvania read. On Monday, Fetterman alleged that Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) missed more votes than he has. Sanders and Murray did not immediately respond to requests for comment 'Why aren't the left media yelling and demanding them and claiming they're not doing their job?' Fetterman said. Since taking office in 1991, Sanders has missed 836 of 6,226 roll call votes, or about 13.4 percent, according to a government transparency site. Between 1993 and May 2025, Murray missed 290 of 11,106 roll call votes, or about 2.6 percent. In his first term, Fetterman has missed 174 of 961 of roll call votes, or about 18.1 percent, according to The median among lifetime records of current sitting senators is 2.9 percent.
Politico
5 days ago
- Health
- Politico
Fetterman defends mental health, desire to stay Congress
Sen. John Fetterman is pushing back on reports that he no longer wants to serve in Congress. At a debate with Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) Monday morning, Fetterman claimed that the media is trying to 'smear' him over his lack of public appearances, including for congressional votes. 'I'm here. I'm doing that job,' Fetterman (D-Pa.) said. 'For me, if I miss some of those quotes — I mean some of those votes — I've made 90 percent of them and, and we all know those votes that I've missed were on Monday; those are travel days, and I have three young kids, and I — those are throwaway procedural votes. … That's a choice that I made, and if you want to attack me for that, go ahead.' Fetterman's office did not immediately respond to POLITICO's request for comment. The first-term senator has come under fire from progressives and others both in Congress and his home state over his voting record and alleged outbursts toward staffers. Fetterman suffered a stroke shortly before winning the 2022 Senate primary and was admitted to the hospital, where doctors removed a clot. In February 2023, Fetterman announced he was seeking treatment for severe depression. Many applauded Fetterman for being candid about his mental health struggles. But a bombshell New York magazine report this month alleged that current and former staffers are concerned about Fetterman's mental and physical health. Top Democrats have yet to come to Fetterman's defense, and at least one Pennsylvanian progressive organization called on Fetterman to resign, citing the senator's voting record and 'disdainful attitude' toward constituents. 'You have failed to fulfill the most basic duties of the office by avoiding contact with your constituents who can't even leave voicemails after business hours, refusing to hold town halls, yelling at visitors in your office and inexcusably missing more votes than any other member of the current Senate,' the letter from Indivisible Pennsylvania read. On Monday, Fetterman alleged that Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) missed more votes than he has. Sanders and Murray did not immediately respond to requests for comment 'Why aren't the left media yelling and demanding them and claiming they're not doing their job?' Fetterman said. Since taking office in 1991, Sanders has missed 836 of 6,226 roll call votes, or about 13.4 percent, according to a government transparency site. Between 1993 and May 2025, Murray missed 290 of 11,106 roll call votes, or about 2.6 percent. In his first term, Fetterman has missed 174 of 961 of roll call votes, or about 18.1 percent, according to The median among lifetime records of current sitting senators is 2.9 percent.
