A New York profile on Sen. John Fetterman suggesting he's not doing well physically or mentally and may not be fit to continue serving in office is still causing a buzz, and now the Pennsylvania Democrat is pushing back. Fetterman, who had a stroke in 2022 and was treated for depression the year after that, slams the article, calling it a "one-source hit piece." "It involved maybe two or three ... anonymous disgruntled staffers saying just absolute false things," he tells CNN. Fetterman also says it's "outrageous" that the "incredibly invasive" article, which included an interview with former chief of staff Adam Jentleson, hinted he may have mental health issues beyond his depression, and he denies he's not taking his meds or checking in regularly with his doctors.
"It's like ... someone ... was trying to accumulate my medical records and leak those things that's part of this weird grudge for this hit piece," he says, adding that his doctors think he's doing "great." "If you're really concerned about someone, you could say, hey, let's sit down. Can we talk?" he says of Jentleson. CNN notes that "there is already intense interest in primarying Fetterman, and questions over his fitness to serve could amplify that effort."
Per NBC News, some of Fetterman's Democratic colleagues are already rushing to his defense. "He's doing a good job, and he's a good legislator," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says. Sen. Peter Welch calls Fetterman "a special talent in our party" and vows to lend his continued support. Social media and the pundits, however, weren't quite so supportive, per the Independent. "He needs to resign," says the Bulwark's Jonathan Last, a longtime Fetterman fan. Rotimi Adeoye, a Democratic operative out of Philly, agrees, saying that Pennsylvania Democrats "need a robust primary."
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"Someone clearly still struggling with their mental health shouldn't be in such a high-stakes role," Adeoye says. "The only solution is political: Fetterman should resign." At any rate, Fetterman says "of course" he'll be serving out the remaining four years of his Senate term, though he won't commit to running for reelection in 2028. As for Jentleson, Fetterman's former chief of staff tells CNN, "I stand by what I said, and I hope he gets the help he needs." (More John Fetterman stories.)
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