John Fetterman Responds To Wall Street Journal Report: ‘Hit Piece’

Key Facts

In a statement to CNN, Fetterman said the Wall Street Journal report cited references which were “stripped of any context and circumstances.”

Fetterman apologized after the report said he responded flippantly about attending a meeting with officials from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, calling his remarks to his staffers a “dumb joke” and pointing out that he has publicly met with representatives from the renowned hospital.

The Journal also reported Fetterman backed out of a funeral for three police officers shot and killed near his hometown in York County after he found out it could last over three hours—but Fetterman’s statement to CNN said he privately sent the families flowers, publicly expressed his condolences on social media and later met with them at a fundraiser earlier this year.

Fetterman’s staffers also expressed concern when he canceled a meeting on health care with paralyzed veterans from his state because he was feeling sick, but still showed up to the office less than an hour later for a Fox News spot to speak about Israel and the war in Iran—however Fetterman doubled down on his original claim, insisting he intended to meet with the veterans but was “at home throwing up,” and eventually came to work hours later after he “felt well enough to continue the day as scheduled.”

Fetterman did not address every allegation detailed in the original story, and his office did not return a request for comment from Forbes for further details.

CRUCIAL QUOTE

“No matter how many smears or stories, I’m proud to continue to deliver for Pennsylvania,” the senator said in a statement to CNN.

What Else Did The Wall Street Journal Report Allege?

Fetterman did not immediately respond to the allegations detailed in the story about refusing to meet with constituents from a flood-prone area in Philadelphia, who traveled to Washington with state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams to discuss the federal government’s cuts to grant programs the area used. “He was available. He just chose not to meet with us,” Williams told the Journal, also noting his group saw Fetterman in the halls, but he refused to acknowledge them. Fetterman also did not immediately comment on allegations he refused to meet with Pennsylvania state Rep. Liz Hanbidge on homelessness issues in the state, but did meet with former Auburn University basketball coach and Israel advocate Bruce Pearl the same day.

Key Background

Fetterman, the former lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, was elected to the Senate in 2022 and took office the next year. The Pennsylvania senator has since made a name for himself for breaking with his party’s prevailing views on major culture war issues, and for unabashedly backing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has crossed party lines several times to vote with Republicans, including voting against limiting President Donald Trump’s ability to wage the war in Iran using the War Powers Act. Fetterman has also faced serious health issues since his 2022 campaign—he suffered from a stroke in 2022 on the campaign trail, and was treated for clinical depression at Walter Reed Medical Center in 2023. His staffers have spoken out about his outbursts and behavior in the past, including his former chief of staff Adam Jentleson, who told doctors he was worried about his boss’ mental health in 2024. Fetterman has previously denied allegations from Jentleson and other staffers, including those detailed in a New York magazine expose last year.

Further Reading

Behind Closed Doors, John Fetterman Shows Little Interest in the Work of a Senator (Wall Street Journal)