News/Commentary

Fetterman in the hot seat over WSJ hit piece

September 4, 2026 | | Print Article

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) found himself in the hot seat after a Wall Street Journal piece claimed he “shows little interest in doing the job beyond cultivating relationships with conservative media figures and advocating for Israel.”

“Behind closed doors, John Fetterman dodges constituents, alienates fellow Democrats and shows little interest in the work of a senator,” the WSJ reported.

Here is a damning claim from the article that Fetterman refused to meet with three paralyzed military veterans, only to find time for a Fox News interview:

One morning in June, three paralyzed military veterans in wheelchairs from rural Pennsylvania arrived at the office of Sen. John Fetterman for a long-awaited meeting to discuss legislation that would improve their care.

Fetterman’s staff greeted them with bad news: The Pennsylvania Democrat had to cancel. He’d told his staff he may have eaten something bad and wasn’t feeling well, according to people familiar with the matter.

Less than an hour after his staffers met with the veterans in his place, Fetterman walked into his office, showing no signs of illness. He had an appointment he didn’t want to miss, he told staff: an interview on Fox News to discuss Israel and the war in Iran.

 

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Citing former staffers, the WSJ reported that Fetterman skipped 11 of 12 full committee hearings during one stretch, eventually adopting a strategy in which aides would ensure that he was marked “present” at meetings before he left.

According to text messages reviewed by the newspaper, Fetterman allegedly balked at attending funeral services for three police officers killed in his hometown of York due to the length of the event, which he called “a nonstarter.”

Another text exchange that took place in September 2025 shows Fetterman pushing back on a meeting with officials at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who wanted to share their concerns about Medicaid cuts. The senator allegedly replied, “I’m convinced they just want free trips to DC.”

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Pennsylvania state lawmaker Anthony Hardy Williams, a Democrat, told the WSJ that Fetterman refused to meet with a busload of constituents from Eastwick, a poorer, flood-prone neighborhood in Philadelphia, only to be seen “walking the halls.”

Fetterman allegedly refused to meet with another Democratic state lawmaker, Liz Hanbidge, last April, after agreeing to take the meeting, according to the WSJ. Hanbidge reportedly came to discuss programs that help the homeless and working poor in her county.

It didn’t take long for Fetterman’s critics on the left, who dislike his candor and, more importantly, his support for Israel, to break out the long knives — the Democrat is up for reelection in 2028:

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The Wall Street Journal also took hits for running the hit piece — here’s a sampling of responses, as seen on X:

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Tom Tillison
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