John Fetterman reportedly skipped meeting with paralyzed veterans to do Fox News hit instead
WASHINGTON, DC: Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, reportedly missed a scheduled meeting with paralyzed military veterans from his state so he could appear on Fox News, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
Three paralyzed veterans from rural Pennsylvania traveled to Fetterman's office in June for a meeting they had coordinated in advance. They wanted to talk about legislation to improve support for disabled veterans. Instead, staff told them Fetterman canceled at the last minute because he might have had food poisoning.
Fetterman reportedly chose Fox News appearance over veterans meeting
Fetterman walked into his office less than an hour later, looking healthy, and told his staff he could not skip a Fox News interview about Israel and the war in Iran.
The Journal, after speaking with dozens of former staffers and lawmakers, reported that Fetterman pays little attention to most of his job's bigger responsibilities, focusing mainly on his connections with conservative media and his support for Israel.
The Journal described several more cases where Fetterman turned down meetings with constituents and advocacy groups.
In September 2025, he complained to his staff about officials from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who wanted to talk about Medicaid cuts.
In texts reviewed by the Journal, he dismissed their concerns and suggested they just wanted "free trips to DC."
That same month, he refused to attend a three-hour funeral for three York police officers killed in the line of duty, saying the length of the service was "a nonstarter."
In April 2025, Anthony Hardy Williams, a Pennsylvania state lawmaker, led a group of Eastwick residents, folks from a flood-prone neighborhood in Philadelphia, to Washington. Their goal was to talk about the impact of cuts to a federal grant program.
Almost everyone in the delegation made time to meet them, except for Fetterman. Reports say he was seen nearby, walking the halls, but he would not sit down with the group.
“He was available. He just chose not to meet with us,” Williams said.
Fetterman's Fox News appearances draw scrutiny
That same month, Fetterman bailed on a meeting with another Pennsylvania politician who went to Washington to discuss programs for the homeless.
Fetterman has made a slew of appearances on Fox News, where he routinely bashes fellow Democrats and forcefully speaks out in favor of Israel and the Iran war.
In an interview last month, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called Fetterman's Fox fetish a “sad state of affairs.”
Democrats question Fetterman's political future
Behind closed doors, some Democrats admit they are worried Fetterman might quit the party someday. He keeps saying he will not switch sides and will not become a Republican.
Still, when the Journal reached out for his take, he did not get back to them.
