Consider This from NPR - Why Fetterman still thinks his party is wrong on Israel, shutdown & the working class

Episode Date: November 11, 2025

When John Fetterman won Pennsylvania's senate seat in 2022, Democrats across the country treated him as a hero and an example of a path forward for the party in the populist Trump era. Three years later, he often finds himself at odds with his party – most recently, on the government shutdown, Israel, and working class voters.He delves deeper into his political views and experiences in a new memoir out this week, titled Unfettered. In the book, he’s also deeply honest about his struggles with mental health.“Honestly, I know millions of Americans suffer,” Fetterman told NPR. “And to really understand what [...] true deep depression is like [...] that's part of the conversation in the book.”This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam with audio engineering from Andie Huether. It was edited by Ashley Brown and Nadia Lancy. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.You can also watch the full conversation between NPR’s Scott Detrow and Fetterman here.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at [e-mail] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When John Federman won Pennsylvania's Senate seat in 2022, Democrats across the country treated him as a hero and is an example of a path forward for the party in the populist Trump era. Three years later, he often finds himself at odds with his party. I think Democrats can be allowed to have different views. Federman has been against the federal government shutdown since day one. Yes, I want health care, but not to create this kinds of stress in our system. He's unapologetically pro-Israel. I know it's become very popular to become more. and more anti-Israel in my party.

I strongly disagree. He delves deeper into his political views and experiences in a new memoir out this week. And in the book, he is also deeply honest about his struggles with mental health. Profound depression, honestly. I know millions of Americans suffer and really understand what true deep depression is like. Consider this. A key senator and a key state is opening up on where he stands. in his personal and political life.

John Fetterman explains where he thinks his party is losing its way. From NPR, I'm Scott Detrow. It's considered this from NPR. Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Federman often finds himself clashing with factions in his party, but Federman questions why there's any tension at all. It's fascinating to me how a guy that voted 90% of the Democratic line, and now I've been estranged with some people in the Democratic Party, and I don't really understand. We had a wide-ranging conversation, and I started out with one topic he delves into in the memoir,

a severe depressive episode that began in 2022 when he was still campaigning for Senate, and also when he had survived a stroke. And we will note that this conversation includes mentions of suicide. if you or anyone you know is in crisis, text or call the suicide crisis lifeline at 988. Last time I sat down with you and interviewed you, you had just returned to the Senate from Walter Reed. It was a pretty emotional conversation. You were still processing your treatment and what came next. I wanted to ask a little bit about that because there's parts of this book where it seems like you're saying that you've at times regretted being so open about your mental health struggles.

Is that accurate? No, I don't regret it. but but it's like people have been willing to to use it or to create an impression that's just not true and I've had a lot of people reach out to me over the year since people and I always it's an honor to speak to people and help them speak to them to their experience because sometimes people can feel alone or where I'm at yeah and I'm not sure exactly how many resources and how much support that they have. And I've always wanted to make that conversation as simple as it can

to just stay in this game. Because I've had people in my life made the decision to leave. And that's not a fail. They didn't fail. But that's a decision that they can't come back. And how heartbreaking that is and how sad that is. And, you know, anyone's... Talking about suicide.

Suicide. Yeah. Absolutely. And I know that that's not a necessarily a big political winner to talk about these things. And I think I was the first elected official to do that. And now it's not a weakness. It's just if somebody can get lost. And that's why to be a voice saying, hey, look, that's a lie.

That's a lie. And I don't know what your recovery looks. But as long as you stay in it, I promise you, you will. will get better. People who've struggled with depression know deep down something you've said. It's not something you solve. It's not something that that's it. We did it. I'm going forward. You talked at the time about your depression being in remission. I'm wondering how you consider your mental health today. How are you doing with this ongoing challenge today? I am the happiest grateful person ever absolutely three years ago three years ago effectively i just won the biggest election on the

cycle and i was on the the downhill depression yeah and it continued to accelerate and and now here i'm able to talk about it and to pay it forward separately i read this book and i wonder do you like being a senator it seems like you are deeply frustrated with this job and with the system that I mean, it's incredibly frustrating, but it's an absolute honor to represent 13 million Pennsylvanians here. And my vote record, I'm a 90% vote Democrat. Yeah. And if you're in a marriage and you agree 90% of time, that must be an amazing marriage. You wrote one critique of the party that I kind of underlined in the book, and I want to ask you a little bit about what exactly you meant by that.

the continued speech and policies against men have not been without consequences. If men are forced to choose between picking their party or keeping their balls, most men are going to choose their balls. What did you mean by that? It just means that if people begin to get perceived as being anti-men, and then that explains why people turn to the, and they use phrases like bros or the manosphere, and they make it seem like that.

So I think there's been a disconnection. So it's more how they talk about it than specific policies? Yeah. Well, I mean, it's just this idea and just being perceived as more anti-man or, you know, cancel culture. And just realizing that I think that's undeniable. And it's just a lot different kinds of energy that comes out from. And I think that's why a lot of the men have chosen. to walk away from the Democratic Party.

And we have to figure out why. Do you think it's a matter of talking about things to not turn off voters? Or do you think it's a matter of your colleagues are overreacting to the things that are happening in the Trump White House when it comes to what's in bounds and what's out of bounds? When it comes to what's within the norms,

what is concerning for democracy? Well, I'm not the gate caper. It's like someone wants to... No, but what do you think? Well, what people thinks, you know, like, I'll give you an exam. example, like the ballroom. I've been to the White House a couple of times, and it's a living space. And now, if you look at all the changes that other presidents have made about the White

House in the past, it's like, hey, you know what? I mean, it was shocking to actually raise a part of the White House, but for me, like, that's not my hill. It's like, all right. What is your hill then? Like, what, what's one or two hills for Senator John Federman, that this is something that paramount issue. For me, that quickly became Israel. And for me, like for me, that moral clarity. And I agree for the death and the misery. And it quickly became for the Democratic Party who you want to blame, whether you blame for the tragedy on Israel or you blame that on Hamas and Iran and those people. So at no point in the conflict did the balance shift for you as you thought about this in the context.

At no point with, you know, 69,000 Palestinians dead. Did you think I'm going to be contextual? If that's the fact or, but no one breaks down how many actual Hamas fighters or other people that were involved on that. So we're not really sure. What you just laid out is not a very popular view within the Democratic Party right now. Oh, it's like that's 8%. Yeah.

You know? So how confident are you that in three, years time, whoever the nominee is for the Democratic Party for President, use any of that in that way, or if the nominee is somebody who's deeply skeptical of Israel after this war? Well, I know it's become very popular to become more and more anti-Israel in my party. And I feel differently. And for me, that's been part of something about the moral clarities. and I'll be a Democrat that represents Pennsylvania

and tries to find a way forward and they would know what I believe and what I happen to think is true. I hear what you're saying in moral clarity and I'm just trying to represent the other point of view here that a lot of people saw moral clarity in entire cities being destroyed and lots of children dying

and they thought I have deep concerns about that. Am I concerned about it? Yes, absolutely. that needs to end. And the second that they sent back home all of those poor hostages, there is peace now. And now there's no more that kinds of a war. And if you, like it comes back to the basic question, you know, who do you blame for those circumstances? I guess you do keep saying there's peace. There's been a lot of back and forth. There's been ongoing airstrikes and stuff like that. Are you confident? Do you feel like this piece is going to hold long term?

I do. I do believe that. Because what's, What's changed? All of the nations in the region now say, you know, they're holding Hamas accountable and saying, hey, like, this can't continue. You can watch my entire conversation with Senator John Fetterman on NPR's YouTube page. This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam with audio engineering from Andy Huther. It was edited by Ashley Brown. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Scott Detrow.