2026-09-06T12:00:29.138Z / 美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）
参议员约翰·费特曼猛烈抨击此前指控他对工作漠不关心、经常缺席选民会议的前助手，称他们是“不满的员工”，正在散布“抹黑言论”以损害他的声誉。
这位宾夕法尼亚州民主党新晋议员本周六打破沉默，此前《华尔街日报》发布了短信记录，并援引前助手的话称，费特曼如今更热衷于讨好保守派媒体，而非履行美国参议员的核心工作职责。
目前，费特曼的前助手们在X平台上创建了一个匿名账号，并威胁要披露更多关于这位参议员的负面细节。费特曼正面临党内支持率下滑的困境，因在以色列、伊朗和移民问题上与左翼阵营产生分歧，而他正考虑于2028年寻求连任。今年7月，费特曼曾直言不讳地警告，如果民主党采纳反以色列政策，他将退出民主党——这是他迄今为止最直接的威胁之一。
面对与团队内部员工的严重裂痕，费特曼在未回复《华尔街日报》置评请求后，于本周六向CNN发表声明公开回应。他称这篇报道是“不满员工炮制的第三篇抨击文章”。
“一如既往——谎言、半真半假的陈述、影射、抹黑和匿名来源，”费特曼说道，随后补充道：“无论有多少抹黑言论或不实报道，我都为能继续为宾夕法尼亚州服务感到自豪。”
在声明中，费特曼回应了《华尔街日报》报道中提及的三条泄露短信，称它们“被剥离了所有背景和具体情况”。
《华尔街日报》报道称，去年9月的一条短信中，费特曼询问助手为什么他必须“不断出席”费城儿童医院（简称CHOP）的官员会议。
“因为他们担心医保削减，”助手回复道。
费特曼回应：“好吧，我不担心。”
在给CNN的声明中，费特曼称这句话是“一个愚蠢的玩笑，并为此真诚道歉”。
但这位参议员补充说，他已经“通过线上和线下方式”与费城儿童医院的官员进行过会面，并附上了他在X平台上发布的一张照片作为佐证。
“我的办公室和我一直以来都在，并且永远都会为CHOP发声，支持他们的诉求以及任何我们能够协助解决的其他需求，”他说道。
《华尔街日报》的报道还披露，费特曼去年9月缺席了在其家乡约克附近遇难的三名警察的葬礼，并在一条短信中抱怨葬礼时长达到三小时。
“这可能根本没法参加，”据《华尔街日报》报道，费特曼在短信中写道。
在给CNN的声明中，费特曼表示他已经采取措施表达哀悼，并与遇难者家属进行了会面。
“悲剧发生当天，我们私下安排了鲜花送给遇难者家属，并公开表达了我的哀悼，”他说道，并附上了自己在X平台上发布的悼念帖作为证据。“今年6月，我私下出席了在约克举办的‘为了英雄家庭’筹款活动，会见了警察局长和遇难者家属，当面表达了我的哀悼。”
据《华尔街日报》报道，费特曼还缺席了原计划与三名宾夕法尼亚州瘫痪退伍军人的会面，原本是要讨论医疗保健立法。该报称，在费特曼的助手告知退伍军人们他身体不适后，他大约一小时后出现在自己的办公室，看起来状态良好，随后还接受了福克斯新闻的采访。
“我原本打算与这群退伍军人会面，”费特曼在给CNN的声明中说道。“会面之前我在家呕吐，所以我让我的助手先继续会议，他们也确实这么做了。几小时后，我感觉好些了，就按照原定计划继续当天的行程。”
《华尔街日报》的报道并非首次有助手公开质疑费特曼的行为。去年，《纽约杂志》报道了一份2024年的信件，该信件由曾担任费特曼办公厅主任的亚当·詹特莱森签署，其中对费特曼的行为和心理健康表示担忧。费特曼曾于2023年因抑郁症住院约六周，并公开谈及自己正在接受治疗。
当时，费特曼也做出了类似回应，他在2025年5月告诉CNN，这篇报道援引了“心怀怪异怨恨的不满员工”的言论。
詹特莱森上周在X平台上表示，《华尔街日报》最近的报道援引了“一批全新的轮换入职的员工，他们显然对费特曼的行为感到震惊”。
Exclusive: Fetterman blasts ‘disgruntled staffers’ and ‘smears’ after report details apathy toward his work
2026-09-06T12:00:29.138Z / CNN
Sen. John Fetterman is lashing out at former aides who accused him of showing indifference toward his work and of routinely skipping constituent meetings, dismissing them as “disgruntled staffers” pushing “smears” to tarnish his reputation.
The first-term Pennsylvania Democrat broke his silence this weekend after The Wall Street Journal published text messages and cited former staffers who contended Fetterman has grown more keen on ingratiating himself with conservative media than on the critical work expected of a United States senator.
Now, former Fetterman staffers have created an anonymous account on X and are threatening to share further unflattering details about the senator, who is facing sagging approval ratings within his own party amid battles with the left over Israel, Iran and immigration — all as he stares at a potential run for reelection in 2028. The senator bluntly warned in July that he would leave the Democratic Party if it adopts an anti-Israel policy — one of his most direct threats yet.
Facing an extraordinary rift with his own staff, Fetterman went public in a statement to CNN this weekend after he didn’t reply to requests for comment from The Wall Street Journal. He called the article “the third hit piece from disgruntled staffers” who have gone after him.
“Per usual — lies, half-truths, innuendos, smears and anonymous,” Fetterman said, later adding: “No matter how many smears or stories, I’m proud to continue to deliver for Pennsylvania.”
In the statement, Fetterman responded to three of the leaked text messages in The Journal’s report, arguing they were “stripped of any context and circumstances.”
In one text message from last September, The Journal reported, Fetterman asked his staff why he had to “keep having to meet” with officials from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, known as CHOP.
“Because they’re worried about Medicaid cuts,” the aide said.
Fetterman responded: “Well, I’m not.”
In the statement to CNN, Fetterman called that comment a “dumb joke, and for that, I sincerely apologize.”
But the senator added that he’s met with the Philadelphia hospital officials “virtually and in person,” pointing to a photo he posted on X.
“My office and I always have, and always will, advocate for CHOP, support their requests and any other needs that we can assist with,” he said.
The Journal report also revealed that Fetterman skipped a funeral for three police officers killed near his hometown of York last September, citing a text message in which the senator griped at the service’s three-hour length.
“This may be a nonstarter,” Fetterman wrote in the text, according to The Journal.
In the statement to CNN, Fetterman said he took steps to express his condolences and meet with the family members affected.
“On the day of that tragedy, we privately ordered flowers to be delivered for their families and expressed my condolences publicly,” he said, citing a post on X expressing his grief. “In June of this year, I privately attended a Tunnel to Towers fundraiser in York for the families. I met with their chief and the family members directly to express my personal condolences.”
Fetterman, according to The Journal, also skipped a planned meeting with three paralyzed Pennsylvania veterans to discuss healthcare legislation. The paper reported that after Fetterman’s staff told the veterans he wasn’t feeling well, he showed up about an hour later in his office appearing fine and then conducted an interview on Fox News.
“It was my intention to meet with the group,” Fetterman said in the statement to CNN. “Prior to the meeting I was at home throwing up, so I asked my staff to continue with the meeting which they did. Hours later, I felt well enough to continue the day as scheduled.”
The Journal report is not the first to cite aides raising alarms over Fetterman’s behavior. Last year, New York Magazine reported on a 2024 letter from Adam Jentleson, who had served as Fetterman’s chief of staff, raising concerns over his behavior and mental health. The senator was hospitalized for depression in 2023 for about six weeks and has been open about receiving treatment.
At the time, Fetterman had a similar response, telling CNN in May 2025 that the story cited “disgruntled staffers” with a “weird grudge.”
Jentleson said on X last week that the recent Wall Street Journal report cited “an entirely new group of staff who have rotated in and apparently find themselves horrified at Fetterman’s behavior.”