When Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, appeared at a May 8 hearing alongside OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, it caught his colleagues off guard—his seat on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee had remained vacant for the entire year up to that point.
Facing growing scrutiny over his mental health and fitness for office, Fetterman has entered damage control mode, increasingly showing up for hearings and votes he had previously skipped. While some colleagues have privately expressed concerns about his prolonged absences and behavior when present, many are trying to offer support.
“Good thoughts, Senator Fetterman,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, in a show of encouragement after he concluded his questioning of Altman, The New York Times reported.
Fetterman has made clear that he takes little enjoyment in the committee hearings and Senate proceedings he has attended in recent weeks, part of an effort to demonstrate that he is capable of fulfilling his duties through the end of his term in 2028. At a critical moment for the nation, he appears largely disengaged from the routine responsibilities of serving in the U.S. Senate.
In an interview, Fetterman, who represents roughly 13 million Pennsylvanians, said he felt unfairly pressured into participating in activities such as committee work and procedural floor votes, which he dismissed as “performative” and a poor use of time.
He explained that his recent presence on Capitol Hill is less about a renewed commitment to the job and more about responding to what he described as media-driven narratives that have “weaponized” his absenteeism to suggest he is mentally unfit. In reality, he said, his limited attendance reflects a deliberate choice to spend more time at home and less on what he views as the less substantive aspects of the role, the Times reported.
“My doctor warned years ago: After it’s public that you are getting help for depression, people will weaponize that,” Fetterman said in his office this week. “Simple things are turned. That’s exactly what happened.” He added: “It shook me that people are willing to weaponize that I got help.”
This marks the latest chapter in Senator Fetterman’s tumultuous tenure in the national spotlight—a stark contrast to the peak of his popularity, when he entertained ambitions of running for president in 2028. Now, he finds himself frustrated that such a goal seems increasingly out of reach, said the Times.
Fetterman largely attributes the shift to his decision two years ago to publicly disclose his mental health struggles, which he believes triggered the wave of scrutiny that has followed. That includes a string of recent unflattering reports highlighting erratic behavior, poor attendance, and an apparent lack of engagement with the responsibilities of his office.
John Fetterman, the 6-foot-8 self-styled champion of working-class voters, suffered a life-threatening stroke in 2022 during one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races—a contest he ultimately won. Shortly after taking office, he checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a six-week treatment for depression. At the time, he appeared to make a strong recovery and became a vocal advocate for mental health, urging others to seek help when needed.
Following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack, Fetterman emerged as a staunch supporter of Israel and increasingly distanced himself from the progressive wing of his party. His outspoken pro-Israel stance seemed to give him renewed focus in a role he otherwise admitted brought him little satisfaction.
But by the middle of last year, he began retreating further from his Senate responsibilities—skipping committee meetings, missing votes, and holding fewer public events such as town halls, the Times reported.
