John Fetterman slams critics asking him to quit over mental health issues: 'It's part of this weird smear'

WASHINGTON, DC: Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman hit back at critics asking him to leave his job as he faces ongoing questions about his mental health and job performance.

The Democrat appeared alongside his fellow Pennsylvania Senator David McCormick on Monday, May 2, and rejected accusations that he is not engaged in his job, The Daily Beast reported.

John Fetterman hits back at critics asking him to leave his job

Fetterman said on Monday, "For me, it’s very clear, it’s just part of this weird, this weird smear."

He added that he’s been getting "incoming" over his stance on Israel, the border, and not voting to shut the government down, per the outlet.

Moreover, Fetterman pushed for the conversation to move during his appearance in Boston at 'The Senate Project', which aired on Fox Nation.

"I’m here. I’m doing my job. I’m defending on all those things, and all of those important votes, I’ve always been there," the senator said.

He added, "And for me, if I miss some of those votes, I mean some of those votes, I’ve made 90 percent of them, and we all know those votes that I’ve missed were on Monday. Those are travel days, and I have three young kids."

He also dismissed counts he had missed as “throwaway procedural votes,” which were not important, according to the Daily Beast.

Fetterman said this after a scathing op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday, June 1, where the outlet's editorial board wrote he "must take his position seriously".

Philadelphia paper warns John Fetterman to take job seriously 'or step away'

The Philadelphia paper wrote, "It’s time for Fetterman to serve Pennsylvanians, or step away."

In a strongly worded piece, the editorial board of the Philadelphia Inquirer said that the Democrat "has missed more votes than nearly every other senator in the past two years" and "regularly skips committee hearings, cancels meetings, avoids the daily caucus lunches with colleagues, and rarely goes on the Senate floor," according to The Guardian.

The editorial board also mentioned that six former Fetterman staffers told an Inquirer reporter that the senator was regularly absent or spent hours alone in his office, and avoided colleagues and meetings, per the outlet.

The board wrote, "Being an elected official comes with public scrutiny. If Fetterman can’t handle the attention or perform his job, then in the best interest of the country and the nearly 13 million residents of Pennsylvania he represents, he should step aside."

It further added, "Being an elected representative is a privilege, not an entitlement. Being a US senator is a serious job that requires full-time engagement."