Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman reportedly displayed distressing behavior during an extended mental health crisis that left people in his orbit deeply concerned about the senator’s condition, according to New York Magazine.
Fetterman suffered a stroke in 2022 while running for the senate seat he now occupies, and he checked in to Walter Reed hospital in March 2023 for extensive treatment for depression. New York Magazine’s piece — based on interviews with Fetterman and numerous people in his orbit — reports that the senator’s mental health situation has been more troubling than publicly acknowledged.
Adam Jentleson, Fetterman’s former chief of staff, quit his job one year after the senator’s release from Walter Reed because he was so concerned about the Democrat’s erratic behavior, according to New York Magazine. According to Jentleson, Fetterman does not regularly take his medication, is prone to conspiratorial thinking, drives recklessly and tells painfully obvious lies in addition to dodging check-up appointments.
“Part of the tragedy here is that this is a man who could be leading Democrats out of the wilderness,” Jentleson told the outlet. “But I also think he’s struggling in a way that shouldn’t be hidden from the public.”
For his part, Fetterman disputed the article’s central thesis and dismissed many of the anecdotes and anonymous quotes in it as baseless conjecture. Fetterman’s office did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
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According to New York Magazine, many of the staff members who once made up his inner circle have subsequently left his office, and more departures may be coming. Among themselves, staffers have used words like “manic” and “unhinged” to describe their principal’s behavior at times.
Before his stay at Walter Reed, Fetterman had just been sworn in to the Senate and should have been riding high. On one particular day in February 2023, the new senator was at a retreat but hardly spoke to anyone as he sat alone; later that same day, Fetterman apparently walked aimlessly into the street and was nearly hit by a car, according to New York Magazine.
One staffer told the outlet that there have been days where Fetterman’s staff would not allow any outsiders to see him because they feared that he might say “really fucked-up shit to constituents” or other visitors.
Fetterman’s reported struggles also caused strain on his relationship with his wife Gisele, according to New York Magazine. The couple reportedly have had heated political arguments, including over Fetterman’s staunch support for Israel in its war against Hamas.
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One incident pertained to Fetterman’s internal distress over whether to vote to confirm Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense. Fetterman had met with Hegseth and felt that it may be best to back him, despite most Democrats believing that Hegseth was not fit for the job.
Ahead of the vote, Fetterman reportedly spent part of a day locked in his office while crying, arguing with his wife, and making FaceTime calls to his staff, according to New York Magazine. Fetterman ultimately voted against Hegseth and told the outlet that the vote speaks for itself, while the additional details about his state of mind at the time are conjecture.
“No, everything’s great,” Fetterman told New York Magazine in response to a question about how he is feeling during a sit down interview for the piece. “Everything’s great. I don’t know what you’re referencing.”
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First published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
