Exclusive: Fetterman blasts ‘disgruntled staffers’ and ‘smears’ after report details apathy toward his work
By Manu Raju, CNN
(CNN) — Sen. John Fetterman is lashing out at former aides who accused him of showing indifference toward his work and of routinely skipping constituent meetings, dismissing them as “disgruntled staffers” pushing “smears” to tarnish his reputation.
The first-term Pennsylvania Democrat broke his silence this weekend after The Wall Street Journal published text messages and cited former staffers who contended Fetterman has grown more keen on ingratiating himself with conservative media than on the critical work expected of a United States senator.
Now, former Fetterman staffers have created an anonymous account on X and are threatening to share further unflattering details about the senator, who is facing sagging approval ratings within his own party amid battles with the left over Israel, Iran and immigration — all as he stares at a potential run for reelection in 2028. The senator bluntly warned in July that he would leave the Democratic Party if it adopts an anti-Israel policy — one of his most direct threats yet.
Facing an extraordinary rift with his own staff, Fetterman went public in a statement to CNN this weekend after he didn’t reply to requests for comment from The Wall Street Journal. He called the article “the third hit piece from disgruntled staffers” who have gone after him.
“Per usual — lies, half-truths, innuendos, smears and anonymous,” Fetterman said, later adding: “No matter how many smears or stories, I’m proud to continue to deliver for Pennsylvania.”
In the statement, Fetterman responded to three of the leaked text messages in The Journal’s report, arguing they were “stripped of any context and circumstances.”
In one text message from last September, The Journal reported, Fetterman asked his staff why he had to “keep having to meet” with officials from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, known as CHOP.
“Because they’re worried about Medicaid cuts,” the aide said.
Fetterman responded: “Well, I’m not.”
In the statement to CNN, Fetterman called that comment a “dumb joke, and for that, I sincerely apologize.”
But the senator added that he’s met with the Philadelphia hospital officials “virtually and in person,” pointing to a photo he posted on X.
“My office and I always have, and always will, advocate for CHOP, support their requests and any other needs that we can assist with,” he said.
The Journal report also revealed that Fetterman skipped a funeral for three police officers killed near his hometown of York last September, citing a text message in which the senator griped at the service’s three-hour length.
“This may be a nonstarter,” Fetterman wrote in the text, according to The Journal.
In the statement to CNN, Fetterman said he took steps to express his condolences and meet with the family members affected.
“On the day of that tragedy, we privately ordered flowers to be delivered for their families and expressed my condolences publicly,” he said, citing a post on X expressing his grief. “In June of this year, I privately attended a Tunnel to Towers fundraiser in York for the families. I met with their chief and the family members directly to express my personal condolences.”
Fetterman, according to The Journal, also skipped a planned meeting with three paralyzed Pennsylvania veterans to discuss healthcare legislation. The paper reported that after Fetterman’s staff told the veterans he wasn’t feeling well, he showed up about an hour later in his office appearing fine and then conducted an interview on Fox News.
“It was my intention to meet with the group,” Fetterman said in the statement to CNN. “Prior to the meeting I was at home throwing up, so I asked my staff to continue with the meeting which they did. Hours later, I felt well enough to continue the day as scheduled.”
The Journal report is not the first to cite aides raising alarms over Fetterman’s behavior. Last year, New York Magazine reported on a 2024 letter from Adam Jentleson, who had served as Fetterman’s chief of staff, raising concerns over his behavior and mental health. The senator was hospitalized for depression in 2023 for about six weeks and has been open about receiving treatment.
At the time, Fetterman had a similar response, telling CNN in May 2025 that the story cited “disgruntled staffers” with a “weird grudge.”
Jentleson said on X last week that the recent Wall Street Journal report cited “an entirely new group of staff who have rotated in and apparently find themselves horrified at Fetterman’s behavior.”
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