John Fetterman turns to unlikely GOP ally as Democrats sharpen attacks over explosive report

WASHINGTON, DC: Sen John Fetterman is fighting back against a bombshell Wall Street Journal story that painted him as ignoring basic senatorial duties, calling the claims “smears” and finding an unlikely partner in his Republican Pennsylvania colleague, Sen Dave McCormick.

The report, based on leaked text messages between Fetterman and his staff, said he was more interested in making appearances on Fox News to talk about Israel than to meet with constituents, including a delegation of paralyzed veterans from Pennsylvania, and that he had skipped a funeral for slain police officers because of the time the ceremony would take.

Dave McCormick comes to John Fetterman's defense

Fetterman told CNN in a statement that "disgruntled" staffers had concocted the story, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, to knock his reputation.

While other Democratic members of the Pennsylvania delegation were furious with Fetterman, his fellow senator, McCormick, defended him.

"These stories are the latest example of outrageously disloyal staff and forces on the Left using anonymous leaks to cancel my friend John Fetterman," McCormick said on X. "They hate that he is an independent thinker who refuses to fall into line so they want to silence him."

Fetterman and McCormick share a unique relationship in a Congress that has grown increasingly partisan. They’re one of three Senate duos from a purple state, and Fetterman has vowed to not support an opponent when and if McCormick runs for re-election in 2030.

"Well, I would absolutely never move against my friend," Fetterman told reporters.

They also launched a joint fundraising effort in July, called Common Ground PA, according to federal financial filings.

"He and I will continue to work together to deliver for Pennsylvania by saving jobs at US Steel, passing a new law to make housing more affordable, securing $600 million to replace the Delaware River Bridge, and delivering critical funding to protect Presque Isle State Park," McCormick continued.

Democrats push to oust John Fetterman

Even with support from across the aisle, there is mounting pressure on Fetterman from within his own party. He has been directly attacked by the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee.

"This man has no sense of duty” said Rep Chris Deluzio, a progressive Pennsylvania Democrat."

Writing on social media, Deluzio went further in signaling opposition to a potential Fetterman campaign. "He is not up for the high office he was elected to, and we in Pennsylvania will do something about it in 2028."

The dynamic highlights Fetterman’s increasingly unusual position within his own party: a Democrat who’s been consistently pilloried by progressive colleagues but has warm working relationships across the aisle, fueling ongoing speculation about his political future and whether he will even run for reelection in 2028.

So far, Fetterman has only said he intends to keep doing his job, brushing off the controversy as just another attempt by critics to marginalize him.