‘Everybody is mad at me!’: Sen. John Fetterman in bizarre violent tantrum in teacher’s meeting

It hasn’t been a great week for Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman. Last Thursday, New York Magazine published an exposé entitled “All By Himself“, that centered on concerns by his former Chief of Staff Adam Jentleson that he’s a danger to himself and others.

Among other things, the article identifies rapid mood swings, compulsive and obvious lying, paranoia that his family is secretly recording him, moments where he walked straight into traffic, compulsively walking in tight figure 8s in his office, and highly delusional behavior. Most terrifying of all was a high-speed freeway crash apparently caused by him using his phone while driving, which left his wife with “a pulmonary contusion and spinal fractures”.

In the wake of the article, many have serious concerns about Fetterman’s state of mind and competence to represent Pennsylvania. Fetterman has dismissed the concerns as “disgruntled employees saying things that are either untrue or, so, that’s kind of the business that we are in”, but a much more recent episode indicates he’s not out of the woods yet.

As per a report by AP News, the very day before the expose landed Fetterman had a bizarre outburst at a meeting with teacher’s union representatives: “Before long, Fetterman began repeating himself, shouting and questioning why “everybody is mad at me,” “why does everyone hate me, what did I ever do” and slamming his hands on a desk, according to one person who was briefed on what occurred.”

The day before the New York Mag piece went online, Fetterman lost it in a meeting with a teachers union: "Fetterman began repeating himself, shouting and questioning why “everybody is mad at me,” “why does everyone hate me, what did I ever do” and slamming his hands on a desk" pic.twitter.com/gDcRzgh6zz

— Nick Field (@nick_field90) May 8, 2025

Recognizing that the meeting was a disaster, a stressed Fetterman staff member quickly escorted the union officials out of the room and promptly broke down in tears. The teachers, who were “rattled” by Fetterman’s disturbing comments, then took the time to comfort her.

Is this a Democratic Party problem?

Let’s face it, the Democratic Party doesn’t have a great recent track record in acknowledging when high-profile members might not be fit for office. Most famously, Dem officials’ claims that Joe Biden was in great shape and sharp as a tack collapsed in an instant when exposed to the brutal reality of the first presidential debate.

Beyond that, the 90-year-old Senator Dianne Feinstein died in office in 2023 after serious questions were raised about her mental fitness, with reports outlining memory lapses that left her staff seriously concerned. Just last week, we heard about the shocking story of former Democratic Colorado Rep. Yadira Caraveo, whose two attempts to take her own life in 2024 weren’t disclosed to the public, even after her staff concocted a safety plan requiring that “sharp objects be removed” from the offices.

If Fetterman is suffering from repeated and serious mental health episodes, Pennsylvanians deserve to know whether their Senator can continue to represent them competently. As with anyone undergoing crisis, he has my sympathy on a personal level, but he shouldn’t be behind the wheel of a car right now, let alone in public office.