After years of defending Sen. John Fetterman through health scares, debate debacles, and questions about his fitness for office, the same media that once shielded him is now turning on him — and the timing is no mystery.

In a bombshell New York Magazine exposé, current and former staffers paint a picture of a “bizarre” and “erratic” senator battling serious mental health challenges, facing tensions at home, and alienating his staff. But the real shock? Much of the criticism began only after Fetterman broke ranks with the progressive wing of his party and became an unapologetic defender of Israel.

The hit piece, titled “All By Himself: John Fetterman insists he is in good health, but staffers past and present say they no longer recognize the man they once knew”, catalogs a series of incidents, including reports of Fetterman wandering the Capitol, nearly being struck by a car, and being “catatonic” during a conversation with then-Sen. Sherrod Brown. The account raises alarms about his mental state — even claiming he hasn’t had bloodwork in months and has physically stumbled into people in the Capitol complex.

But these same outlets had no interest in raising the alarm during the campaign, when Fetterman — fresh off a debilitating stroke — could barely get through a debate against Dr. Mehmet Oz without visibly struggling to form sentences. At the time, the media rushed to assure Americans he was sharp, lucid, and perfectly capable of serving in the U.S. Senate.

Now, after Fetterman emerged from his hospitalization and began pushing back against the far-left flank of his party — including vocally supporting Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas — the knives have come out.

According to the piece, internal staffers lashed out at Fetterman over his support for the Jewish state, calling it a “gutting betrayal,” while his wife Gisele reportedly confronted him personally, questioning: “Jerusalem [is] bombing refugee camps — how can you support this?” Gisele also reportedly raised complaints directly with his Senate staffers.

The coordinated media pivot was not lost on political observers.

The backlash isn’t just about health. It’s about ideological betrayal — or at least, that’s how the progressive left sees it. Fetterman, once a darling of the populist wing, has taken an increasingly independent stance, calling for Sen. Bob Menendez’s resignation, backing Israel, and refusing to parrot extremist narratives.

Some now speculate this public takedown is a preemptive political hit ahead of a possible 2028 primary clash between Fetterman and fellow Pennsylvanian Gov. Josh Shapiro.

“Funny how they didn’t run these hit pieces or question Fetterman’s mental health during the campaign,” one observer noted. “But now that he’s not a deranged Trump hater, a psychotic terrorist lover, or an obedient progressive, suddenly they’re starting to question his mental acuity.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)