Politics

Fetterman defends mental health, desire to stay Congress

Published

1 year ago

June 2, 2025

Sen. John Fetterman is pushing back on reports that he no longer wants to serve in Congress.

At a debate with Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) Monday morning, Fetterman claimed that the media is trying to “smear” him over his lack of public appearances, including for congressional votes.

“I’m here. I’m doing that job,” Fetterman (D-Pa.) said. “For me, if I miss some of those quotes — I mean some of those votes — I’ve made 90 percent of them and, and we all know those votes that I’ve missed were on Monday; those are travel days, and I have three young kids, and I — those are throwaway procedural votes. … That’s a choice that I made, and if you want to attack me for that, go ahead.”

Fetterman’s office did not immediately respond to Blue Light News’s request for comment.

The first-term senator has come under fire from progressives and others both in Congress and his home state over his voting record and alleged outbursts toward staffers.

Fetterman suffered a stroke shortly before winning the 2022 Senate primary and was admitted to the hospital, where doctors removed a clot. In February 2023, Fetterman announced he was seeking treatment for severe depression.

Many applauded Fetterman for being candid about his mental health struggles.

But a bombshell New York magazine report this month alleged that current and former staffers are concerned about Fetterman’s mental and physical health. Top Democrats have yet to come to Fetterman’s defense, and at least one Pennsylvanian progressive organization called on Fetterman to resign, citing the senator’s voting record and “disdainful attitude” toward constituents.

“You have failed to fulfill the most basic duties of the office by avoiding contact with your constituents who can’t even leave voicemails after business hours, refusing to hold town halls, yelling at visitors in your office and inexcusably missing more votes than any other member of the current Senate,” the letter from Indivisible Pennsylvania read.

On Monday, Fetterman alleged that Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) missed more votes than he has. Sanders and Murray did not immediately respond to requests for comment

“Why aren’t the left media yelling and demanding them and claiming they’re not doing their job?” Fetterman said.

Since taking office in 1991, Sanders has missed 836 of 6,226 roll call votes, or about 13.4 percent, according to GovTrack.us, a government transparency site. Between 1993 and May 2025, Murray missed 290 of 11,106 roll call votes, or about 2.6 percent.

In his first term, Fetterman has missed 174 of 961 of roll call votes, or about 18.1 percent, according to GovTrack.us. The median among lifetime records of current sitting senators is 2.9 percent.

Politics

Trump says ‘multiple arrests’ made at Reflecting Pool amid vandalism claims

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Trump says ‘multiple arrests’ made at Reflecting Pool amid vandalism claims

President Trump claimed on Saturday that multiple individuals have been arrested for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as he seeks to deflect blame for ongoing water quality and maintenance problems stemming from a recent multi-million renovation project. “The United States Park Police have arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Pool,” Trump…
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Politics

Paws. Dish. Draw. Repeat.

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Sunday presents another test for both Belgium and Maximus Textoris Pulcher, the rescue cat that Prime Minister Bart De Wever hoped would become the 2026 successor to Paul the Octopus, who predicted (with surprising accuracy) the winners of the 2010 World Cup.

De Wever’s cat has become something of a feline influencer — Maximus’s Instagram following now outpaces the PM’s — but probably shouldn’t quit social media for prediction markets. Maximus, who chooses a match’s outcome by pawing from one of three dishes, anticipated a Belgian win in the team’s first match against Egypt — it ended in a draw. Maximus has again tipped the Red Devils to prevail today, this time against Iran.

Politics

Which members of the prospective ’28 field are hitting the pitch

Published

4 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Gov. Josh Shapiro is quickly becoming the prospective 2028 presidential campaign field’s biggest World Cup fan.

On Monday, the Pennsylvania governor and potential presidential candidate is set to attend his second match of the tournament when he is in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field to see Iraq play France in Philadelphia, according to a spokesperson. He also attended Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador there a week ago with his wife Lori. Shapiro is also expected to hit the FIFA Fan Festival before the match.

Shapiro joins a growing list of 2028 hopefuls to take in the tournament. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, attended the U.S. opener against Paraguay. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attended the American squad’s match against Australia. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who hasn’t actively made moves toward a campaign but has carved out a leadership role in the party, attended the France vs. Senegal game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

A number of potential 2028 candidates in states hosting games have not yet made the pilgrimage to a game: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) hasn’t partaken of an East Rutherford match. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock of Georgia, for example, have not attended matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (Ossoff has said he has no interest in running for president), nor has Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) hasn’t taken in a match at either AT&T Stadium in Arlington or NRG Stadium in Houston.

Shapiro is known on local sports radio as “Josh in Abington,” and is a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles and 76ers. That fandom could help him build stronger relationships with voters. Philadelphia’s fan zone has drawn significant crowds.

Shapiro has also used host status to distribute 700 free tickets to Philadelphia community organizations. He said it was “really important” to him that it would happen when he landed matches.

“Governor Shapiro believes the FIFA World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that should benefit all Pennsylvanians,” his office said in a press release earlier this month, and “he is working to make the matches free and accessible to as many people as possible.”

The tickets are also an economic development tool: “As part of Visit PA’s sponsorship of Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the Commonwealth gains access to a mix of suite, VIP, and general admission tickets, which are being used to host business leaders, prospective partners, and other guests to further strengthen Pennsylvania’s economic development and promote the Commonwealth as the best place to visit, live, and do business,” a Shapiro spokesperson said.

More broadly, the politics of attending a FIFA World Cup game are tricky, says Eric Koch, a soccer fan and Democratic consultant based in New York City.

“In fairness the ticket prices are insane and the U.S. matches have all been on the West Coast so it’s hard for anyone to get out there — and AOC has been (rightfully!) basking in the Knicks win,” Koch said. “The U.S. loves a winner and this squad is not only super talented but is also on the cusp of really capturing the hearts of the whole country as we go to the knockout rounds so I expect we will see more candidates embracing them. It’s going to be a great unifying thing to rally behind.”

For Democrats in particular, embracing the World Cup could help them with two political projects, Koch said: embracing some kind of patriotism and relating more with voters, but it has to be an authentic effort.

“As with all things in politics, if it’s not authentic to you and what you’re about, it’s going to seem fake and forced and this applies extra to sports, which people have actual deep connections to,” Koch said. “The good thing is the USMNT can be everyone’s team and as the hype train builds I think we will see more pols embracing them.”