In the front room of John Fetterman’s office in the Capitol, pictures of Hamas hostages are plastered on the wallpaper. Their faces stare down two front desk staff as protesters show up almost weekly to demand an explanation from senators for their unwavering support for Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza. . Of course, Fetterman has no interest in hearing their opinions, so all his junior aides can offer are Pennsylvania-made Peeps marshmallows and bottled water.
“The most important thing is that we have to stand with Israel and Ukraine,” Fetterman told me in December after the White House requested emergency foreign aid for both countries and Taiwan.
The Pennsylvania Democratic Party has made unconditional support for Israel a central pillar of its political identity since the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre that killed 1,139 people, in response to the Israeli Defense Forces’ Oct. 27 On the same day, it invaded Gaza and began ongoing military operations. The operation has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians so far, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. But none of Mr. Fetterman’s current or former aides interviewed by Vanity Fair for this article said that despite calls for his resignation from the left and declining support among young voters, the junior senator has maintained his I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why I wasn’t daunted by the view.
Fetterman has received $244,100 from pro-Israel groups over the years, according to Open Secret data, but the Times of Israel called him “the most vocal pro-Israel member of the Senate since Oct. 7.” “He is the person who is developing the Democratic Party.” But while he’s happy to take on this role, what’s even stranger, according to his staff, is that Fetterman has never actually visited Israel, one of the most common destinations for members of Congress on official business. I’m saying that.
Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who has traveled to Israel for years on Senate business, said the process is “very easy.” “You go to the Pentagon,” he said, referring to the Pentagon. “If someone needs help, we would be happy to help.” Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee said there are essentially two ways for members of Congress to visit Israel. The visit is sponsored by the official CODEL (Congressional Delegation) and interest groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The senator said Mr. Graham sometimes takes commercial flights to Israel with only one military escort for security. For official travel, the senator said “freshmen like Fetterman” can talk to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and committee chairs about participating in CODEL and privately sponsored trips. Schumer did not respond when asked what members must do to visit Israel. “You’ll have to ask them,” he replied.
When I asked Fetterman in early April if he had any plans to visit Israel, he replied, “I don’t know.” However, a person familiar with the congressman’s itinerary said he is scheduled to participate in an AIPAC-sponsored trip in May. (AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Whitman declined to comment on the trip.)
Fetterman compared the partisan brawl in the House to The Jerry Springer Show. He told me in late February that the country’s credit default, government shutdown, and failure to fund military alliances should not be on the table in Congressional negotiations. “It’s governance,” he said. “It’s not entertainment.” Although he considers himself a staunch Democrat, he has recently openly criticized party leaders over Israel policy. ‘Israel has no conditions in this war with Hamas,’ says senator Posted On April 4, President Joe Biden raised concerns about civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip in a phone conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after an Israeli airstrike killed seven World Central Kitchen employees. President Joe Biden, apparently accusing him of threatening to make future military aid conditional on response to the US military crisis. In March, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Fetterman’s boss ostensibly in the Senate, called for an election in Israel. At the time, Fetterman told Jewish Insider that he largely agreed with Schumer on Israel policy, but that calling for an election that would almost certainly oust Netanyahu from power was a bridge too far. told Axios. “I want to demand that there be no foreign influence in the election, so I am not involved in it,” he said.
One former aide said Mr. Fetterman’s “total lack of empathy for the slaughtered Palestinians” caused staff morale to plummet last year. By the end of March, four members of Fetterman’s communications team had quit, albeit not in unison. “He loves attention and loves Israel, so this is a perfect combination,” said another former staffer. At least three of the senator’s former press aides now work for employers who have criticized Israel, despite worldwide accusations that the Israeli military is committing genocide in Gaza. senators are avoiding doing so, despite the rise in Press aide Emma Mastion left to work for Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, who told voters last month that “Israel can do more” about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, according to the Washington Examiner. . Mr. Fetterman’s former deputy communications director, Nick Gavio, has moved to the Working Families Party, which runs an online tracking service for members of Congress calling for a ceasefire, a position Mr. Fetterman has consistently opposed. A fourth communications aide, Alana Guzman, the senator’s digital and creative director, also left last month to attend graduate school, Fetterman’s office said.
and Joe Calvello, who worked as Fetterman’s communications director for three years before leaving in March to work as Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s chief strategy officer. “Seeking peace is not revenge. Seeking peace is justice,” Johnson said at an Eid al-Fitr event with Chicago-area Muslims, breaking a tie to pass a cease-fire resolution in the City Council. Awarded for voting. Gavio and Calvello worked on Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign before joining the Fetterman campaign in 2021. Mr. Calvello was Mr. Fetterman’s first staff hire in the Senate after the lieutenant governor defeated Republican TV personality Mehmet Oz in a tight race for Republican Pat Toomey’s seat. became. Senate Democrats have a one-seat majority. A year after Fetterman took office on January 3, 2023, Calvello and Chief of Staff Adam Jentleson, a senior aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, became regulars at the Capitol with Fetterman. It became. When Mr. Fetterman suffered a stroke while campaigning and was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment of chronic depression, he informed the public of his recovery status, and Mr. Fetterman wore a hoodie and a gymnasium to participate in the Senate tradition. When he rebelled against the system, he repulsed opponents of the system. Shorts for working near the Capitol.
But then, in January 2024, Mr. Fetterman abruptly abandoned the entourage of aides who had accompanied him during his first year in the Senate, an unusual move for any senator, especially one so vocal. This was unusual for a high-profile lawmaker. Carrie Adams, a former Meta public policy staffer who worked for Schumer and former House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, replaced Calvello as Fetterman’s communications director in April. did. Since then, the self-proclaimed “demon” has been roaming the tunnels alone.
