Senate Democrats worried about Fetterman discussing ways to help

Democratic senators are having private conversations about how to help Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) in the wake of an explosive report that the first-term Pennsylvania senator is behaving erratically and in a way that may pose a danger to himself or others, according to sources familiar with those discussions.

Two Democratic senators told The Hill they are talking with colleagues about how to best help Fetterman, who they fear is struggling to cope with the emotional rigors of serving in Congress, a stressful job even for the fittest individuals who often find themselves the targets of political attacks.

“Every time I see him, I’m worried about him,” said a Democratic senator who requested anonymity.

The senator cited a recent report in New York Magazine that Fetterman’s former chief of staff alerted the senator’s doctor at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that he was “on a bad trajectory” and might not “be with us for much longer” unless something changes.

“I know we’re all in touch with each other having conversations about how to intervene. I haven’t heard anybody say they’re not worried about it,” the senator said of the discussions among senators about how to help Fetterman.

“People are trying to figure out what to do. People are worried about his safety,” the lawmaker added.

A second Democratic senator, who also requested anonymity, described being “involved in discussions” about how to help Fetterman.

“They’ve been more like, ‘We’re friends, what can we do as friends to provide some support,’” said the senator, who expressed concern that Fetterman appears to have become very isolated in Washington.

“I worry about that, and that means as friends we need to step up,” the senator said.

The lawmaker said the bombshell report in New York Magazine “gets our attention.”

“We’re trying to be good friends,” the source added.

A third Democratic senator who requested anonymity reported witnessing Fetterman become emotional at work and expressed concern about his “well-being.”

“Certainly I’m concerned about his well-being like all other senators,” the lawmaker said.

Fetterman’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

A Democratic aide said Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) has made an effort to reach out to Fetterman, forming a friendship and helping to break through the wall that has emerged between Fetterman and many of his Democratic colleagues.

Fetterman’s former top aide, Adam Jentleson, a well-known Capitol Hill veteran who previously served as former Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid’s (Nev.) deputy chief of staff, warned Fetterman’s doctor a year ago in a 1,600-word email that the senator was exhibiting “warning signs” that they had previously discussed after he was admitted to Walter Reed for clinical depression in 2023.

The aide flagged Fetterman’s heavy use of social media, which was described as an “accelerant” of his depression; reckless driving; and the purchase of a firearm. Jentleson warned that Fetterman’s driving had become so erratic that staff refused to get in a car with him.

The aide also flagged conspiratorial thinking, megalomania, roller-coaster emotions and questioned whether Fetterman was taking medication prescribed to combat his depression.

Fetterman pushed back on the report last week as a “one-source hit piece” and vowed to stay in the Senate for the remainder of his term, which expires in 2028.  

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) said that Fetterman has largely withdrawn from casual interactions with Democratic colleagues.

Floor votes and caucus lunch meetings are opportunities that many senators use to catch up with colleagues to blow off steam, strengthen personal relationships or try to advance their legislative priorities.  

“It’s a limited relationship. John doesn’t spend much time on the floor, for obvious reasons. He’s chosen to dress in a manner that’s inconsistent with the Senate rules and [made] limited appearances within the caucus. So I’ve not developed a relationship with him, which I usually do,” Durbin said.

A breaking point between Fetterman and his Democratic colleagues came in September 2023, when the Senate voted unanimously to establish a formal dress code for the floor in direct response to Fetterman’s habit of wearing a baggy shirt and shorts — or a hoodie and shorts — to work.

The message sent to Fetterman was bluntly delivered by the title of the legislation: the SHORTS, or Show Our Respect to the Senate, Act.

Now when Fetterman shows up for votes in his hoodie and shorts, he often sits on a bench with staff in the Ohio Clock corridor as he’s no longer permitted to mill about on the Senate floor without a jacket, tie and slacks.

So far this year, he’s missed more votes than any other senator. According to GovTrack.us, he’s missed 174 of 920 roll call votes, or about 19 percent of them.  

New York Magazine reported that Fetterman has had “verbal altercations” with colleagues, including Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).

A person familiar with the incident between Fetterman and Shaheen said it wasn’t an “altercation” but more like an awkward exchange.

Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, approached Fetterman about opposing a House-passed bill sponsored by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) to sanction to the International Criminal Court after it issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

During the conversation about the bill, Fetterman expressed his anger about not being given a seat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Sources familiar with the interaction found Fetterman’s response odd because Shaheen as the ranking member doesn’t determine committee assignments, the Senate Democratic leader does.

Fetterman has also missed multiple meetings of the Senate Commerce Committee, according to a source familiar with the panel’s schedule.

He attended the committee’s organizational meeting and then made a rare appearance at a hearing Thursday on “Winning the AI Race,” at which Sam Altman, the co-founder of OpenAI, and other experts testified about regulatory barriers on the artificial intelligence supply chain.

Another aide said Fetterman appeared to struggle with the complex material at Banking Committee hearings when he served on that panel during the 118th Congress in 2023 and 2024. He dropped off from the committee at the start of the 119th Congress.

“He never seemed with it at Banking. I feel for the guy,” the aide said. “You’d always get white-knuckled. You’re like, ‘Man, I hope he’s not coming.’”

Former Pennsylvania Rep. Ron Klink (D) said Fetterman’s office appears to be suffering from a high rate of staff turnover and voiced his own frustration over not getting calls back when he asked for Fetterman’s help on certain issues, such as health care topics and the cleanup of toxic coal ash in Pennsylvania.

“I have reached [out] to Sen. Fetterman’s office on a number of occasions for work that I’m doing and I have not really received any callbacks. Very little communication with staff. It’s been amazing,” Klink told The Hill. “I haven’t had much interaction with him at all, not through lack of trying.”

Klink said on the few occasions he could get in touch with someone in Fetterman’s office, when he called back at a later date, “the staffer was gone.”

Klink represented Pennsylvania’s 4th District from 1993 to 2001.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) defended Fetterman last week when he was asked about the reporting on his behavior and possible mental health issues.

“He’s doing a good job and he’s a good legislator,” Schumer told reporters at his weekly press conference.