A new exposé about Sen. John Fetterman’s, D-Pa., time on Capitol Hill set social media ablaze on Friday.
The report raised questions about alleged tensions with his wife, Gisele, over his health regimen, his stance on Israel and her reported run-ins with his staff.
In “All By Himself: John Fetterman insists he is in good health, but staffers past and present say they no longer recognize the man they once knew,” New York Magazine’s Intelligencer lays out recollections from current and former staff members who worked for the Pennsylvania Democrat.
In May 2022, Fetterman suffered a serious stroke mid-Senate campaign against Dr. Mehmet Oz.
The article relates several reported instances, including a February 2023 situation at a Democratic caucus retreat at the Library of Congress.
A staffer told the outlet that he received a message questioning how Fetterman was doing, as he was found sitting at a table alone, silently drinking a soda.
The report went on to claim the lawmaker was “nearly struck by a car” and found “wandering” Capitol Hill.
Physicians at George Washington University Hospital later determined he was severely dehydrated, and had not had a second stroke as feared.
An ensuing discussion with then-Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, found Fetterman to be nearly “catatonic” when Brown tried to talk with him. Soon after, on Feb. 15, he was admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center.
After being discharged, Fetterman “threw himself into” his Senate work and became more vociferous than ever on issues like the Israel-Gaza conflict and other topics that have rankled his Democratic colleagues.
He also took a leading role in calling for the ouster of now-former Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., amid corruption allegations.
“Former and current staffers paint a picture of an erratic senator who has become almost impossible to work for and whose mental-health situation is more serious and complicated than previously reported,” the article read.
After staffers wrote a letter about Fetterman’s “gutting betrayal” supporting Israel, the report went on to allege Gisele confronted him about Jerusalem “bombing refugee camps — how can you support this?”
Gisele reportedly also went to staffers with her concerns, while a Senate physician in December 2023 reported him “acting bizarrely” near the Senate subway, while he had not had bloodwork in months.
The hulking lawmaker also reportedly nearly knocked over folks walking in the Capitol.
Both types of incidents reportedly rankled his wife, who was vociferous on the matter, according to the magazine piece.
Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman for comment.
Social media became abuzz after the article dropped, with Bloomberg columnist Matthew Yglesias calling it “a very sad story here on a human level, but of course, it’s also politics and can’t be addressed purely on that level.”
Left-wing former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan wrote that the story and color from former staffers therein “makes clear that Fetterman should not be serving in the Senate. Every Senate Democrat should read this and be asked about it.”
A California progressive group reacted by writing that the story is an indictment of populist lawmakers.
“Whether they’re left or right, whether they agree with your preferred policies or not, populism will not get you the best leaders,” Bay Area New Liberals wrote.
Another user said the story showed Gisele as “evil.”
“These are not red flags, this is a siren going off. John Fetterman is not taking his meds… He needs inpatient care,” commented another.
“Funny how they didn’t run these hit pieces or question Fetterman’s mental health during the campaign when he was barely able to speak or when he so spectacularly fumbled the debate against Dr. Oz. But now that he turned out not to be a deranged Trump hater, a psychotic terrorist lover, or an obedient progressive, suddenly they’re starting to question his mental acuity,” a different user wrote.
“Knocking him out early before he can do anything in 2028?” wrote another, who conjectured that both Fetterman and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro could end up battling each other in the next Democratic presidential primary.
Read the full article here
