‘Pathetic behavior’: John Fetterman faces backlash from a swath of Democrats after scathing Wall Street Journal report

A Wall Street Journal report that described Sen. John Fetterman as regularly skipping constituent meetings in Washington, avoiding committee hearings, and weighing whether to miss a police funeral in Pennsylvania drew sharp criticism from fellow Democrats in the state.

On X on Thursday night, Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Pennsylvania Democrat, wrote, “John Fetterman is a disgrace.” Boyle also wrote, “Our state deserves better than a lazy trust fund baby who is too lazy to do the job.”

Rep. Chris Deluzio, another Pennsylvania Democrat, posted Friday morning on X, “There is a lot I could say about this report of John Fetterman’s pathetic behavior as a Senator.” Deluzio added that the reported laziness, disrespect, and willingness to carry water for a foreign government showed Fetterman has no sense of duty, that he is not up for the high office he was elected to, and that Democrats in Pennsylvania will do something about it in 2028.

Pennsylvania Democrats and former aides respond to the Journal account

According to the Journal, Fetterman repeatedly declined to see constituents in Washington even when appointments had already been set. The paper described one instance in which he canceled on three paralyzed military veterans waiting in his office after telling staff he felt unwell, then arrived at the office a short time later to get ready for a live Fox News segment.

POLITICO reported that Fetterman’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fetterman captured his Senate seat in 2022 with backing from Pennsylvania’s progressive left. Fetterman’s political standing remains complex, as a recent poll shows him polling higher among Pennsylvania Republicans than the state’s GOP senator. 

The portal stated that he later became one of Israel’s strongest supporters in the Senate and sat down with then-President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in January 2025. POLITICO also stated that Fetterman has spoken openly about severe depression and about a stroke he suffered during the 2022 campaign that has affected his speech.

Shannon Watts, a gun violence activist, described a meeting inside Fetterman’s office in which she said the senator “launched into a tirade about a tweet I’d posted about his Republican colleague.” Watts wrote, “I found it odd that he was clocking my tweets.” She continued, “Anyway, this went on for what seemed like an eternity until he decided the meeting was over. I left feeling like he was an entirely different person than before his stroke.”

On social media, Pennsylvania Democratic strategist J.J. Abbott called the Journal’s story “deeply disturbing.” Abbott wrote, “My take: those of us who can’t do anything about John’s behavior, criticizing him ain’t gonna do it, should ignore him.” 

He also wrote, “All else is going right for PA Dems to win power in Harrisburg and DC. Let’s focus on winning and not giving him what he wants.” Abbott’s call to focus on winning reflects a broader Democratic strategy, as seen when progressive candidates won recent primaries despite Fetterman’s warnings about such movements. 

Former Fetterman chief of staff Adam Jentleson noted on X that high staff turnover meant the people quoted by the Journal were not the same aides who had spoken in earlier accounts. Jentleson wrote, “There are many crazy things about this story, but one is that this is an entirely new group of staff who have rotated in and apparently find themselves horrified at Fetterman’s behavior.”