Senator John Fetterman was told to “just quit” by former Democratic Representative Conor Lamb after The Wall Street Journal published a report alleging Fetterman has shown “little interest” in his work. The new report, published Friday morning, alleged that the Pennsylvania Democrat, elected in 2022, has shown little interest in the day-to-day aspects of being a senator, including meeting with constituents, attending hearings and making in-state appearances, citing a former staffer. Fetterman has not publicly responded to the Journal’s article; Newsweek reached out to his office for comment via email.
The report comes as Fetterman has faced increasing scrutiny from Democrats, as he has drifted rightward on certain issues like Israel and has been willing to side with the Trump administration on some priorities. He has faced mounting questions about leaving the Democratic Party but has denied having any interest in doing so. The Journal's report outlines several instances alleging that Fetterman declined to meet with constituents or attend local events across his state.
Newsweek has not independently verified the allegations. Text messages reported by the newspaper showed Fetterman asking an aide why he had to keep meeting with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). When the aide said they were concerned about vaccines and Medicaid cuts, the senator allegedly wrote back, “Well I’m not.” He also allegedly wrote that he was “convinced they just want free trips to DC.” The article also quoted state legislator Anthony Hardy Williams, who said that he brought constituents from a flood-prone neighborhood in Philadelphia to meet with their representatives in Washington, but that Fetterman was the only representative who declined to meet.
He just chose not to meet with us,” Williams, a Democrat, told the newspaper. Another instance the article reported on is a funeral for three police officers killed near York last September. Text messages reported by the Journal showed that he described the three-hour funeral as a “nonstarter.” Lamb, who ran against Fetterman in the 2022 Democratic primary and previously represented a Western Pennsylvania district in the House of Representatives, urged him to leave the Senate in a post on X after the report was published.
It’s an insult to decent people in our state for you to treat them and the office this way,” he wrote. Other prominent Democrats also spoke out against Fetterman following the report. Representative Brendan Boyle, who represents a Philadelphia-based district in Congress, wrote on X, “John Fetterman is a disgrace.
Our state deserves better than a lazy trust fund baby who is too lazy to do the job.” Representative Chris Deluzio, who succeeded Lamb in Congress, wrote that Fetterman is “not up for the high office he was elected to — and we in Pennsylvania will do something about it in 2028.” “There is a lot I could say about this report of John Fetterman’s pathetic behavior as a Senator. But between the laziness, disrespect, and willingness to carry water for a foreign government, it shows us something we already know: this man has no sense of duty,” he wrote. Others have also called for his resignation.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
