Journalist Mark Halperin said Monday that questions about Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman's mental fitness are warranted following bombshell reports this month about his alleged alarming behavior behind the scenes.
"I will say on Fetterman, I really don't understand why Republicans are being so outspoken," Halperin said on Monday's "The Morning Meeting" on his 2WAY platform. Some Republicans have contended Fetterman is being smeared because he's moderated his politics.
"Is it genuine? Because they think he's a great guy getting a bad shake? Are they trying to recruit him to switch parties or are they just trying to make mischief with the Democrats?" Halperin asked.
"But I can tell you, behind the scenes, Fetterman's behavior warrants the commentary it's gotten plus more. I can tell you that."
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Fetterman, who suffered a massive stroke in 2022 and has been open about his struggles with depression, was the target of a brutal New York Magazine report out this month, in which current and former staffers alleged the senator had engaged in erratic behavior and become "almost impossible to work for."
Once a progressive darling, Fetterman has since found himself at odds with the far-left wing of the Democratic Party because of his outspoken support for Israel, border security and occasional willingness to work with the Trump White House.
Speculation that Fetterman's mental health was in decline continued after an Associated Press (AP) report alleged he had an outburst during a meeting on May 1 with teachers' union representatives from his state, where he repeated himself and shouted, "Everybody is mad at me" and "Why does everyone hate me, what did I ever do?"
The Philadelphia Inquirer also published a report this month that painted a picture of Fetterman as disengaged and troubled.
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Fetterman has repeatedly shut down questions about his fitness for office and dismissed the New York Magazine report as a "hit piece."
In response to the AP report, Fetterman's office previously sent Fox News Digital several comments from the senator in which he neither confirmed nor denied the outburst but said: "Here's what is true: We had a spirited conversation about our collective frustration with the Trump administration's cuts to our education system."
Amid the scathing reports, several of Fetterman's colleagues on Capitol Hill have defended the senator and argued that there is a coordinated smear campaign against him.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., conceded that he wasn't a medical expert, but it seemed to him that Democrats were turning on Fetterman because he had bucked his party on several key issues.
"A few short years ago, Fetterman was like this godsend in Pennsylvania. And he came here, and they realized that Fetterman's his own man. He's gonna speak his mind, and he's gonna say it the way that it is or the way he feels like it is anyways, and they can't control him," Mullin said.
"And the Democrats are all about controlling the party. And so, if you're speaking away from them, it's doomsday for you," he added.
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Fetterman and Halperin did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment on Tuesday.
