Democratic members of Pennsylvania's own congressional delegation are publicly calling Sen. John Fetterman a "disgrace" and vowing to unseat him in 2028 after a Wall Street Journal report revealed leaked text messages showing the senator's reluctance to perform basic duties of his office.
The backlash landed fast and from multiple directions. Rep. Chris Deluzio, Rep. Brendan Boyle, and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who also serves as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, each took to X to condemn Fetterman after the Journal published what it described as private exchanges between the senator and his aides. The texts showed Fetterman pushing back against meeting with representatives of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and dismissing the idea of attending a funeral for three police officers killed in Pennsylvania.
Fetterman, for his part, told NBC News he has no intention of joining the Republican Party, a response that may have answered a question nobody was asking while ignoring the ones his colleagues actually raised.
The Wall Street Journal report, which Fox News Digital detailed, included text exchanges between Fetterman and unnamed aides that cut to the heart of the criticism. In one exchange, an aide informed Fetterman that representatives from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, one of the most prominent pediatric hospitals in the country, wanted to meet with him over concerns about Medicaid cuts and vaccines.
Fetterman's reply, per the leaked texts: "Well, I'm not. I'm convinced they just want free trips to D.C."
In a separate exchange, an aide told Fetterman about a funeral for three police officers killed in Pennsylvania. The aide noted there would be a dress code and that the service was expected to last three hours. Fetterman responded: "This may be a nonstarter."
The Journal's reporting painted a broader picture of a senator more interested in appearing on Fox News to discuss Israel than meeting with paralyzed veterans from his own state, and one who treated a law enforcement funeral as an inconvenience rather than an obligation.
Whether Fetterman ultimately attended the funeral or met with the hospital's representatives is not addressed in the reporting. The texts speak for themselves.
Rep. Chris Deluzio, a fellow Pennsylvania Democrat, posted a lengthy rebuke on X that went well beyond the usual intraparty grumbling. Deluzio wrote:
"There is a lot I could say about this report of John Fetterman's pathetic behavior as a senator. But between the laziness, disrespect, and willingness to carry water for a foreign government, it shows us something we already know: this man has no sense of duty."
Deluzio followed that with a direct threat aimed at 2028: "He is not up for the high office he was elected to, and we in Pennsylvania will do something about it in 2028."
Rep. Brendan Boyle was blunter. Boyle posted on X:
"John Fetterman is a disgrace. Our state deserves better than a lazy trust fund baby who is too lazy to do the job."
Boyle offered no further elaboration. He didn't need to. The leaked texts had already done the work.
Fetterman's pattern of breaking with his party is well established. He has publicly called out Democrats over what he sees as a socialism problem within the party, putting himself at odds with the progressive base that helped elect him in 2022.
Malcolm Kenyatta, a Pennsylvania state representative who doubles as vice chair of the DNC, may have delivered the most politically significant blow. Kenyatta has made no secret of his interest in higher office, and his post on X read like an opening argument for a primary campaign.
"This report is horrifying, but not new to many of us in PA. John barely showed up as [Lieutenant Governor] and is constantly MIA as our senator. When he's not on FOX cheerleading Trump & endless wars, he is attacking the very neighbors who gave him a chance. 2028 can't come soon enough."
That last line, "2028 can't come soon enough", is not ambiguous. Kenyatta is positioning himself as a potential challenger, and the Journal report gave him the ammunition to do it publicly.
The criticism from Kenyatta echoes a broader tension within Democratic ranks. Sen. Bernie Sanders has called Fetterman "way out of touch" as their feud over Israel and party direction has deepened. Fetterman rose to prominence as a progressive who appeared to emulate Sanders' populist formula and backed Sanders early in his presidential runs. That alliance is long gone.
The leaked texts did not emerge in a vacuum. Fetterman has spent much of his Senate tenure antagonizing his own caucus through a series of votes that aligned him with Republicans on high-profile issues.
He voted with Republicans during a government shutdown fight while Democrats stayed unified pushing to renew lapsing Obamacare tax credits. He helped confirm some of President Donald Trump's nominees, including Markwayne Mullin as Secretary of Homeland Security. He did vote against confirming Dr. Mehmet Oz, the man he defeated in 2022, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but that lone act of partisan loyalty has done little to quiet his critics.
Fetterman has also broken with Democrats on AI policy to back Trump's push to outpace China, adding another item to a growing list of cross-party alignments that infuriate the Democratic base. He has even vowed never to campaign against Republican ally Dave McCormick, a pledge that would be unremarkable from a moderate but is extraordinary from a senator who won his seat running as a progressive champion.
His vocal support for Israel and frequent Fox News appearances have become a particular sore point. Kenyatta accused him of "cheerleading Trump & endless wars," while Deluzio went further, alleging a "willingness to carry water for a foreign government." Both characterizations are theirs, not established fact, but they reflect a Democratic caucus that views Fetterman's media choices and policy positions as a betrayal.
Fetterman did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the backlash. His only public statement, relayed through NBC News, was that he has "no intentions of joining the Republican Party." He has made similar assurances before.
But the question facing Fetterman is not whether he carries an R or a D next to his name. The question is whether he is doing the job at all. The leaked texts suggest a senator who viewed a meeting with a children's hospital worried about Medicaid cuts as an inconvenience and a police funeral as a scheduling problem. His Democratic colleagues are not accusing him of switching parties. They are accusing him of not showing up.
No specific plans for a 2028 primary challenge have been announced beyond the public statements from Deluzio, Boyle, and Kenyatta. But the language they used, "disgrace," "no sense of duty," "2028 can't come soon enough", suggests the groundwork is being laid in plain sight. Whether a credible challenger emerges, and whether Pennsylvania's Democratic primary voters agree with the delegation's assessment, remains an open question.
The voters of Pennsylvania sent Fetterman to Washington to represent them. If his own text messages are any indication, he'd rather not be bothered.
