Sen. John Fetterman raises alarms with outburst at meeting with union officials, AP sources say

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By MARC LEVY
Updated 9:13 PM CDT, May 7, 2025

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was meeting last week with representatives from a teachers union in his home state when things quickly devolved.

Before long, Fetterman began repeating himself, shouting and questioning why “everybody is mad at me,” “why does everyone hate me, what did I ever do” and slamming his hands on a desk, according to one person who was briefed on what occurred.

As the meeting deteriorated, a staff member moved to end it and ushered the visitors into the hallway, where she broke down crying. The staffer was comforted by the teachers who were themselves rattled by Fetterman’s behavior, according to a second person who was briefed separately on the meeting.

The interaction at Fetterman’s Washington office, described to The Associated Press by the two people who spoke about it on the condition of anonymity, came the day before New York Magazine published a story in which former staff and political advisers to Fetterman aired concerns about the senator’s mental health.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/john-fetterman-trump-democrats-senate-pennsylvania-8129e206ed9479ad8534eac3fd128abe

[Freddie]

1. Is there a 25th Amendment for senators?

I’m from Pennsylvania and we had such hopes for him, even as a possible President someday. But it’s obvious that he suffered cognitive damage from the stroke and he needs to step down.

[Lochloosa]

27. He can be expelled with 2/3 vote of the Senate. I think.

[Lochloosa]

28. Yep

A Senator can be removed from office through impeachment and subsequent conviction by the Senate, or through expulsion by a two-thirds vote of the Senate. Impeachment requires a simple majority vote in the House of Representatives to bring charges, followed by a trial in the Senate. Expulsion is a less common process, but it allows the Senate to remove a member for misconduct without needing the House's involvement.

[patphil]

32. Republicans will never support his removal. A confused, ineffective Democratic Senator is to their benefit.

I also had high hopes for him. I hope he can get treatment.

[orangecrush]

44. This

[sop]

2. 'Fetterman dismisses concerns about his mental health after New York magazine story'

“'It’s a one-source story, with a couple anonymous sources, hit piece from a very left publication,' Fetterman told NBC News. The Pennsylvania Democrat, who has cultivated an eccentric obstinance on the Hill, added, 'There’s really nothing more to say about it.'"

"Fetterman told reporters that his doctors think he’s doing 'great' and that he has been attending regular check-ups and sticking to his wellness regimen, according to CNN. He accused Jentleson of holding a 'weird grudge' and said that his former staffer could have talked to him instead of 'going to the media.'"

"Fetterman also dismissed others who voiced concerns about his mental health. 'They’re not,' he told reporters Tuesday. 'They’re actually not concerned.'"

https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/john-fetterman-mental-health-staffers-depression-new-york-magazine-rcna205311

[Paladin]

4. "...an eccentric obstinance on the Hill..."

Fetterman is unworthy of such a charitable description. He's doing way too much damage to what remains of our democracy, and he needs to allow someone more responsible to take his office---just as soon as possible.

[Orrex]

3. I wish the recovering stroke victim good health and long life

[mdbl]

8. as he resigns to take care of himself

[mopinko]

5. calling josh shapiro

i dont know if there is a way to remove him, but seems to me shapiro cd lean on him. maybe let him pick his replacement.

[hlthe2b]

13. Calling his wife TOO... Where is she? Other close family members?

[mopinko]

14. that article in the new yorker

said she is nowhere to b found. i mean, i’d wd stay away from a guy that big who was unbalanced.
maybe if she started divorce proceedings it wd bring it to a head.

[Alice Kramden]

30. That NY Mag article said he's not listening to her

Staffers heard Fetterman many times arguing with his wife on speakerphone, and at one point she lamented "where is the man that I married?" - sounds like she tried, but can't persuade him to listen to reason

[FakeNoose]

35. Gov. Shapiro has an obvious answer ... by appointing former Senator Bob Casey to step in

Bob Casey could step in on short-notice and he's a true-blue Democrat, much respected in the US Senate. He lost his bid for a third term last November against Dave McCormick in a very close count.

I'm sorry for John Fetterman but he's in desperate need of assistance for his health and mental stability. This situation cannot continue. I've been giving Fetterman the benefit of the doubt since last year, but now it's obvious that he needs to resign.

[PortTack]

6. His own aids and staff members are expressing the same concerns as the ppl at the town hall!

[Lonestarblue]

7. I don't know much about stroke victims, but it seems that Fetterman's brain may have been changed in some way.

Has he forgotten his views before the stroke? Do strokes change one’s personality, as he seems more prone to anger now?

Fetterman is not up for reelection until 2028. That’s too long to wait when he seems to be moving to the right..

[AverageOldGuy]

11. Yes . . .

. . . . strokes can lead to serious, marked personality changes.

I'm not a physician of any kind, I'm just an old basic EMT but docs have told us time and again about dealing with stroke patients, both people in the midst of a stroke as well as those who suffered strokes some time ago.

A stroke can cause real changes in the brain that cause this behavior, plus it's not unusual or unexpected for the person to react in frustration or anger to the limitations often experienced by stroke victims.

I've never had a stroke, however, at age 80 I am not 10-feet tall and bulletproof as I was at age 18 and it's frustrating when I just can't do some simple tasks -- opening a damn jar lid, opening those goddam "old people proof" medication packages posing as "childproof," going to pee only to have to go again in 10 minutes and produce only a few drops. I can imagine that a stroke victim would become very frustrated, angry even, at limitations that are far more extensive than mine.

[mopinko]

16. i noticed that his hospitalization for depression

was 6 wks. that’s unusual. usually it’s 30 days, tho how much of that has to do w insurance rules, i dont know. but i’ve had family members check themselves in, and they got 30 days.

[Mike 03]

29. That stood out to me too.

It gave me the impression that maybe we were talking about a deeper, more complicated or recalcitrant type of depression than how it was diagnosed and treated in the 90s, when it was rather a casual affair that usually ended with a prescription. His situation sounds like maybe a refractory type that was difficult to treat. And at the time I read that I remember wondering if he'd undergone electroconvulsive therapy or something invasive.

I really do wish him well. I've been there (not hospitalized, but dx'd and treated in the 90s). It's a horrible condition. But I didn't find it hard to be objective about my own behavior when I was in his predicament. I just mean, I knew when I behaved like an asshole.

[thatdemguy]

31. Thats because most health insurance has 30 day limits for inpatient mental health care.

The days of huge catastrophic insurance polices are gone.

[mopinko]

37. oh, i know, but

either he has way better ins than most of us, or he was damn sick.

[thatdemguy]

40. He has congress member insurance. On paper its the same as every other federal employee, but lets be honest here.

[mopinko]

41. i thought

that under the aca, they were given a stipend to buy from the exchange. maybe that changed.
or maybe he paid out of pocket. it’s still a long stay.

my family members had cadillac insurance.

[thatdemguy]

42. They still get free care at walter reed

Well its not labeled as free, but

Through a unit at the White House, government personnel were routinely allowed to receive treatment under aliases, providing no home address or insurance information. For some of them, the care was free, as Walter Reed had no way to bill for it or waived charges.

At Walter Reed, the program is available to Cabinet members; members of Congress; Supreme Court justices; active-duty and retired generals and flag officers and their beneficiaries; members of the Senior Executive Service who retired from the military; secretaries, deputy secretaries, and assistant secretaries of the Department of Defense and military departments; certain foreign military officers; and Medal of Honor recipients.

https://www.wusf.org/politics-issues/2024-03-17/vip-health-system-for-top-u-s-officials-risked-jeopardizing-care-for-soldiers

[wolfie001]

9. He knows he bent the knee for tRUMP

What a jackass.

[creon]

10. I think that that Fettermen has issues

I t appears that the stroke cused problems with cognition and emotional regulation.
He may have to resign

[JohnnyRingo]

12. "...according to one person who was briefed on what occurred"

Although it was confirmed by a 2nd anonymous person who also learned it second hand, that's not the same as hearing it from attendees.

I believe something peculiar and perhaps damning occurred at the meeting, but we know how stories change with a friend of a friend.

[Botany]

15. At this point I hope he gets the help, comfort, and support he needs.

John and his wife were forces for good in Braddock, PA and in many other places too.
We need to focus on that because something has happened to this giant of a man.

[mopinko]

17. that's the reaction i have seen

from everyone quoted in the press.
watched a bulwark episode about this, and that’s exactly what everyone said.

brains r funny things. ppl usually dont have this kind of complete reversal. more likely some things go up and others go down. it is usually the “bad” parts that ramp up. but things like giving away a lot of money r common, too. when we finally got my mil into dementia care, we found hundreds of cancelled check to ‘charities’. otherwise, she got pretty hateful.

[Botany]

19. John took on a really big lift in Braddock, PA when he could have made a lot of money other places.

To me that is the real core of the man and his current actions might very well be the results
of his stroke and medical conditions.

Braddock, PA 2009.

[mopinko]

21. maybe

this whole thing sheds a bit of light on how brains go bad. i dont think most ppl have a clue. (as evidenced on nov 5, 2024.)
it has to b the stroke.

[yardwork]

18. He needs to step down. He's not well.

I've defended him here in the past but it's become clear that he isn't well.

[Fullduplexxx]

20. Tic tic tic tic tic tic tic tic

[TheCowsCameHome]

22. It's time for him to switch parties.

He's be a better fit over there.

[FakeNoose]

34. No, he needs to resign and seek medical treatment

I hope that Governor Shapiro is looking into ways to resolve this situation.

If John Fetterman resigns, then Shapiro will be the one to appoint his temporary replacement. Perhaps former Senator Casey (who lost to Dave McCormick in November '24) is the answer.

This situation cannot continue.

[Wounded Bear]

23. I believe one of the symptoms of dementia is narcissitic episodes...

It's becoming clearer that the long term effects of his stroke are compiling.

Sad, he was a bit of a shining light for Dems and Progressives.

[Wild blueberry]

24. Time for him to heal, which includes resigning from Senate

Let Governor Shapiro appoint replacement.

[Ursus Rex]

25. This is starting to feel like a pile-on, a la Biden last summer.

Different people, different contexts, but it *feels* the same.

I'm not sure what would be best, just pointing out that this is following certain patterns.

[iemanja]

46. Ever occur to you

That “pile ons,” or a significant number of articles, appear because there is a real problem?

[et tu]

26. he has sons too

i am concerned for the whole family

[Oopsie Daisy]

33. Maybe he should resign. Are people "talking to him" now and trying to convince him?

[madville]

36. How many would calling for him to resign

If PA had a Republican governor? I certainly wouldn’t be. He probably should but only because a Democrat would replace him. If there was a Republican governor I would say he should not resign (he votes with Democrats 90+% of the time, it’s not like he’s flipped) since PA has no requirement to nominate a replacement from the same party.

[Polybius]

38. I remember bringing up this up in 2022 and getting blasted here

I said that he should drop out and let Conor Lamb (whom Fetterman had just beaten in the primary) run. Multiple users blacked me.

[Deminpenn]

39. He needs a brain fMRI to assess

if there are any areas of his brain that are not functioning properly.

[Kali]

43. So sad

I feel bad for him and everyone involved or connected to him.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

45. Channeling Donald Trump?