Pennsylvania’s Democratic U.S. Senator, as you may have heard, is a complete mess.
John Fetterman was voted into office after having a stroke. People voted for him based on expectations of the type of senator he would be: a progressive.. As I wrote at the beginning of the year, Fetterman was basically more a troll than a senator. Notwithstanding attempts at gaslighting that he was never a progressive, that’s not what we expected from him.
And now it seems to be that much worse. In recent months, what once looked like authenticity has started to resemble instability. His behavior, his rhetoric, and his decisions raise a troubling question: Is Senator Fetterman still fit to serve?
Reports of a recent outburst during a meeting with teacher’s union members, where Fetterman allegedly shouted, slammed his hands on the table, repeated himself, and stormed out, are only the latest red flags. Former staffers have described a pattern of erratic behavior, including a refusal to follow medical advice, not taking his medication and signs of paranoia. He is being an angry boss, and angry bosses are bad bosses. An unstable work environment with high turnover is especially bad if the office is that of a U.S. Senator.
Perhaps most upsetting, there are reports that he hasn’t learned a lesson from his accident last year and is even worse with his distracted driving.
His former chief of staff even penned a letter raising concerns about Fetterman’s mental state. These are not partisan attacks from across the aisle. These are observations from the people who know him best.
Fetterman’s defenders are quick to cry foul, blaming the media or party politics. But the growing list of staff resignations, including legislative aides, communications staffers, and senior advisors, points to a deeper dysfunction. Washington is no stranger to high turnover, but the exodus from Fetterman’s office isn’t normal. It’s a symptom of a senator who is increasingly unmoored from the job he was elected to do.
His fans, who are increasingly on the right, call this nonsense “independence.” Fetterman himself claims the reports are nothing more than hit pieces by people who are upset over his political ideas. But if Fetterman’s political U-turns were matched by competence and leadership, they might be worth debating. Instead, they’re accompanied by chaos behind the scenes, a growing sense of unpredictability, and questions about whether he even wants to do the job anymore.
It’s no longer enough to praise Fetterman’s openness about his health. Transparency is important, but so is accountability. If he is struggling to function as a senator, the public deserves more than carefully crafted statements and defensive posturing. It deserves action.
The Democratic Party made a gamble in backing Fetterman despite serious medical concerns during his campaign. That gamble may be coming back to haunt them. His conduct is no longer just a personal matter. It’s a liability to the people of Pennsylvania and to the legislative process itself. At a time when Democrats do not need any distractions, the spectre of Fetterman rage-punching a staffer or running over a DC pedestrian while reading an article on his phone should be huge red flags. If this odd behavior is the result of his stroke, then that’s very sad. But at the same time, it’s a problem Democrats do not need.
John Fetterman isn’t just having a rough patch. He is at the center of a crisis that’s undermining trust in his leadership. Whether he can recover or whether it’s time to consider stepping aside is something that his party colleagues, and the senator himself, need to confront—without spin, without excuses, and without delay.
The last word goes to The Strokes (because of bad decisions, not the band name).