Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, has for years detested the day-to-day duties of his job, dismissing such tasks as going to hearings and casting votes as a “performative” waste of time.
Now, a group of his disillusioned former staff members — of which there are many — is threatening to reveal more about his private disdain for what is expected of him as an elected representative of 13 million constituents.
On Friday afternoon, a new account, @FettermanStaff, sprang up on X, threatening to publicize unflattering material about the first-term senator, including screen shots of his internal communications.
It came after The Wall Street Journal published fresh revelations highlighting Mr. Fetterman’s deep antipathy to the daily work of being a senator, including meeting with groups from his state and attending a funeral for fallen police officers.
“Why do I have to keep meeting with CHOP,” said a text message attributed to him that was published by The Wall Street Journal, but not independently verified by The New York Times, referring to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
After an aide explained that its representatives were concerned about vaccines and Medicaid cuts, he responded, according to the Journal: “Well, I’m not. I’m convinced they just want free trips to DC.”
The new social media account, which two former staff members confirmed was authentic and described as a group effort, promised that communications like this were plentiful and would soon be on public display. The former aides spoke about the effort on the condition of anonymity.
Even in Washington, where political tell-all books are plentiful and staff leaks are common, such disclosures on a broad scale would be a remarkable breach of the confidentiality that almost always surrounds public officials’ communications with their aides, and a reflection of just how profoundly Mr. Fetterman has alienated people who once worked for him.
“We’re a group of former campaign & Senate staffers for John Fetterman who are disgusted with what he’s become,” the group wrote in its first post, calling the Journal’s report “the tip of the iceberg.”
“It’s even worse than you thought.”
The anonymous account said the people behind it planned to share stories that would “show Pennsylvanians exactly who their Senator is.” It said the first “drop” of information would land on Sept. 14, when the Senate is scheduled to return to session, but could be delayed for a day if Mr. Fetterman skips the Monday night votes, as he often does.
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The social media post appeared designed to catch Mr. Fetterman’s attention on a platform where he spends much of his time: The group follows just two accounts, his personal and official handles.
Mr. Fetterman did not respond to a text message seeking comment.
About 69 percent of likely Democratic voters in Pennsylvania view Mr. Fetterman negatively, according to a poll conducted last month by The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Siena University. Most Republicans in his state, however, now hold a positive view of the Democrat who has become a fixture on conservative news media, bashing the policies of his own party.
All of that has driven speculation that Mr. Fetterman might leave the Democratic Party to become a Republican or an independent, a move he has vowed he will “never” make.
It has also energized Democrats in Pennsylvania to unseat Mr. Fetterman should he seek re-election in 2028. The progressive Working Families Party announced last year it would recruit and support a primary opponent to challenge him.
Mr. Fetterman, who was elected in 2022 as a self-proclaimed champion of working-class voters, had a life-threatening stroke in the middle of the most competitive Senate race in the country.
Shortly after being sworn in, he checked himself in to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to be treated for depression for six weeks, and appeared to make a remarkable recovery as he began speaking out about the importance of getting help when needed. But then in 2024, he began retreating from the job, rarely attending committee meetings, casting votes or holding town halls.
And as he has tacked right on the issue of Israel — he has said that if his party turns against Israel, it would be a “red line” that would prompt him to leave — and began picking fights with the left, his former aides have been increasingly outspoken about their disappointment in and aversion to the lawmaker he has become.
One former staff member, Tré Easton, reposted a message on Friday that described Mr. Fetterman as a “soulless ghoul.”
“Can confirm,” Mr. Easton, who said he was not associated with the new account, wrote online.
In another post, Mr. Easton wrote: “He’s an embarrassment to the commonwealth and fundamentally unfit for public office.”
The post Former Staff Members Threaten to Expose Fetterman’s Internal Messages appeared first on New York Times.
