Fetterman doubts explode into Capitol Hill firestorm
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Sen. John Fetterman has unnerved aides with his performance in office, with both current and former staff telling Axios that the Pennsylvania Democrat seems uninterested in the day-to-day duties of a senator.
Why it matters: Capitol Hill's private concerns over Fetterman exploded into public view over the past week, as longtime critics and former allies piled on with concerns about the senator.
- "Part of the tragedy here is that this is a man who could be leading Democrats out of the wilderness," Fetterman's former chief of staff Adam Jentleson told New York Magazine in an explosive profile. "But I also think he's struggling in a way that shouldn't be hidden from the public."
- A Fetterman outburst during a meeting with teachers union officials in Washington last week ended with a staffer crying in the hallway, AP reports.
- Fetterman told NBC this week that the NYMag story was "a one source story with a couple of anonymous sources," referring to it as a "hit piece."
Zoom in: Since November, Fetterman has missed 55 floor votes in the Senate, according to GovTrack.us. He has missed 29 votes in 2025, the third most of any senator.
- Fetterman's senior staff has built a bubble around him internally, sources told Axios, shielding the senator from interactions with junior staffers.
- Staffers also regularly lose track of and contact with Fetterman while on Capitol Hill, which alarms his inner circle.
The other side: A Fetterman spokesperson said that "John expects his staff to disagree with him on things. That's normal. But airing out
grievances publicly hurts the entire office and puts staff, and their work in jeopardy."
- Fetterman recently hosted his Washington and Pennsylvania staff at his home in Braddock, and met privately with spring interns this week on Capitol Hill.
Between the lines: New York Magazine detailed a letter last year from Jentleson to a doctor overseeing Fetterman's care, in which Jentleson said he was "really worried" about the lawmaker.
- Fetterman survived a stroke during the 2022 campaign, and has spoken openly about his struggles with depression and complications from the stroke.
- Fetterman told reporters earlier this week he's doing "great" and said people who've publicly worried about his mental health are "actually not concerned," NBC News reports.
Fetterman said in a statement: "As I've said, this [referring to New York Magazine article and recent claims made by staff] is just disgruntled staffers peddling lies and half-truths under the guise of 'concern."
- "If those were genuine concerns, they'd pick up the phone and call me, not the press. My actual doctors and my family affirmed that I'm in good health."
The bottom line: Fetterman attended a Commerce Committee hearing on Thursday. But between that appearance and one other appearance at the beginning of this Congress, Fetterman has been largely absent, sources told Axios.
Editor's note: This article has been corrected to note that Fetterman has missed the third most Senate votes this year (not the most).
