'Everyone Hates Me' Capitol on Edge After Fetterman's Meltdown

John Fetterman 118th Congress. Photo by Dan Rios, U.S. Senate Photographic Services. Public domain.

It started with a desk slap.

In a closed-door meeting with a teachers' union, U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) reportedly erupted, repeating himself, slamming furniture, and, according to Mediaite, asking, "Why does everyone hate me, what did I ever do?"

The outburst, described by two sources to the Associated Press, ended with a shaken staffer in tears and a fresh wave of concern washing over Capitol Hill.

Then came the story — the New York Magazine bombshell alleging mental decline, reckless behavior, and isolation from those closest to him. Now, whispers that once circulated quietly through Democratic circles are thundering into the headlines. Is John Fetterman okay? And perhaps more urgently, is his party making the same mistake twice?

A Familiar Pattern of Denial

When President Joe Biden's cognitive fitness became too obvious to ignore, insiders confessed they had seen the signs long before the public caught on. In "Uncharted", a post-election exposé by journalist Chris Whipple, Biden's own staff is described as operating in a "fog of delusion and denial," according to NPR.

They didn't want to confront the reality. They couldn't imagine saying the quiet part out loud. Now, in 2025, the Democratic Party finds itself facing the same problem — only this time, it's Senator Fetterman who's triggering alarm bells.

Fetterman insists he's fine. According to the Daily Beast, he said, "It's a one-source hit piece, and it involved maybe two or three and anonymous disgruntled staffers saying just absolute false things."

But there's a growing stack of incidents and former allies saying otherwise.

Staffers Sound the Alarm

Adam Jentleson, Fetterman's former chief of staff, wasn't anonymous — and his concern couldn't have been more explicit. In a 2024 letter to Walter Reed Medical Center reported by Newsweek, he warned that Fetterman was "on a bad trajectory," skipping bloodwork, driving recklessly, and ignoring his medication regimen.

Other staffers echoed the concern, painting a picture of a senator increasingly out of reach, at times manic, paranoid, and withdrawn. According to Newsweek, Fetterman's longtime consultant Rebecca Katz describes "self sabotage" depression spirals and erratic behavior behind the scenes. Another detailed his crashing into a car at high speed in Maryland while allegedly FaceTiming and reading news articles.

According to the New York Post, even Fetterman's wife Gisele has found Fetterman's behavior far out-of-character, reportedly saying over speakerphone, "Who did I marry? Where is the man I married?"

Fetterman denies it all. According to the Daily Beast, Fetterman said of discussions of his mental health, "It's incredibly invasive. And why are people talking about anyone's personal medical things? It's that, you know, I think most people would agree that's really, really invasive."

But it's not just gossip — it's governance.

A Senate Hinge Point

Fetterman's condition isn't just a personal matter — it's a political fault line.

As one of the most prominent Democrats from a critical swing state, his seat is essential to the party's fragile control in the Senate. With razor-thin margins, even a temporary absence or unexpected resignation could tilt the chamber, giving Republicans a path to push through their legislative agenda. And if Democrats are forced into a chaotic succession battle in 2028, they may find themselves scrambling to defend a seat they can't afford to lose.

Yet despite the mounting questions, party leaders have largely avoided the conversation.

Sharif Street, Pennsylvania's Democratic Party chairman, said to ABC News, "People are concerned about his health. They want to make sure he's OK. People care about him. There's a lot of love for him out there." But there has been no talk yet of replacing Fetterman beyond a primary challenge in 2028.

In the absence of action, a kind of quiet tension has settled in — the kind that often comes just before the stakes become undeniable.

The Media Turns

In 2022, liberal pundits rushed to Fetterman's defense when his health was first questioned on the campaign trail. MSNBC's Chris Hayes dismissed concerns as "gross," according to the New York Post. Kara Swisher suggested reporters were bad at small talk. Progressive writers mocked the notion that a stroke survivor couldn't govern effectively.

Now, many of those same voices are sharing the recent exposé with sympathy, not scorn. Swisher called it "sad" and said the deterioration was "avoidable," according to the New York Post.

Meanwhile, MSNBC contributor Rotimi Adeoye went further, saying, "The Fetterman story is troubling—not just because of chaotic staff allegations, but because someone clearly still struggling with their mental health shouldn't be in such a high-stakes role. The only solution is political: Fetterman should resign. PA Dems need a robust primary," according to the New York Post.

Even Fetterman's own former fans on the left — like journalist Mehdi Hasan and activist Armand Domalewski — are openly calling for him to step down. Just two years ago, they were talking about a potential presidential run.

A Party at a Crossroads — Again

For Democrats, the echoes are hard to ignore.

Both John Fetterman and Joe Biden are high-profile leaders in the Democratic party. Their tenures have been marked by mounting questions about their health while colleagues look the other way. In both cases, the early warnings came from close advisers. In both cases, concerns were framed as partisan attacks — until they weren't.

President Biden's reelection bid collapsed under the weight of what many now admit was a long-ignored decline — a decline insiders saw but refused to name until it was too late. Is a similar fate awaiting Fetterman?

Fetterman's defenders say the criticism is unfair, overly invasive, and politically motivated. But those same defenses were once used for Biden — until the debate stage made them impossible to sustain.

The real question isn't whether Fetterman can finish his term. It's whether his party can afford another cycle of public silence and private panic. Whether out of fear, loyalty, or calculation, the instinct to downplay and deflect is proving stubborn. But the cost of waiting — again — could be steep. If Democrats learned anything from Biden's final year in office, now is the time to show it.

References: Fetterman Vows Not to Quit Over Bombshell 'Hit Piece' on His Mental State | Liberal Media Turn on John Fetterman After Report Sheds Light on Health, Family Drama | John Fetterman's Ex-Chief of Staff Sounds Alarm on Senator—'Getting Worse' | Sen. John Fetterman Raises Alarms With Outburst at Meeting With Union, Sources Say | Biden's Closest Advisers Were in 'Denial' About His Decline, 'Uncharted' Author Says | Yelling Fetterman Left Staffer in Tears With Desk-Slamming Outburst | 'Why Does Everybody Hate Me?!' John Fetterman Left Staffer in Tears After Melting Down During Meeting: Report