Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., released his new memoir, “Unfettered,” on Wednesday. In its 240 pages, Fetterman describes his journey battling depression, while receiving harsh criticism from his party for voting outside his caucus.
The book release comes after Fetterman joined seven other Democratic senators this week to end the government shutdown.
Just four days before winning the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary in 2022, Fetterman had a stroke, which forced him to be hospitalized for a week and a half.
Then, after winning the general election against Republican candidate Mehmet Oz, depression took control of Fetterman’s life, he explained. He dedicated his memoir to “anyone with depression.”
In 2023, Fetterman spent six weeks at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center being treated for severe depression.
Appearing on “The View,” Fetterman said, though it’s not a flashy political memoir, “I think it’s an important conversation to have. I know millions of Americans suffer from depression.”
In one poignant section, Fetterman writes, “I went through the unimaginable pain that comes from a disease of the mind — irrationality masquerading as rationality, the brittle bones and visible scars of a wasted life. Suicidal, paranoid, not eating, not sleeping, not speaking, not functioning, resigned, ashamed, despairing."
His children acted as his “emergency brake” for his depression. They “saved my life,” he said. “Sharing about that story is the gratitude I have to be here. I wanted to pay it forward.”
News outlets share sharp criticism about the memoir
The New York Times review of the book described it as “unrelentingly dour and mournful‚” and says Fetterman’s tone is “brooding but not particularly thoughtful.”
The piece criticizes the senator for his support of Israel in its war with Hamas.
The Washington Post’s review of the memoir, titled, “John Fetterman makes a case for himself. It’s not very convincing,” paints the senator as unfit to serve in office.
“‘Unfettered’ is also, unintentionally, a rather persuasive argument that Fetterman may lack the fortitude, temperament and commitment to represent Pennsylvania’s 13 million residents in the U.S. Senate,” the Post wrote.
Fetterman calls criticism from the far left ‘poisonous’
In one section near the end of his memoir, Fetterman says he’s been criticized from both sides of the aisle, but “the most poisonous, the bitterest is from the far left.”
During an interview with CNN on Wednesday, host Dana Bash referenced this statement and said, it’s “pretty remarkable to hear you say that as an elected Democrat.” She then asked, “Why?”
Fetterman responded, “It’s just been my personal experience.”
He explained, when he asked asked his team which platform has been his harshest critic, they said, Bluesky.
Users on Bluesky “wanted me to die, were cheering for my next stroke, said it was terrible that depression didn’t win and said they hoped my kids found me. They even have a graphic that has a stroke in my head, and they were cheering at that,” Fetterman said.
The Pennsylvania senator recalled another post that said, “Oh, the doctor let us down. Why did they have to save his life?”
“I don’t know what kind of a place that comes from,” he said. “It’s very different from just calling me a name, and that’s been really consistent in that community online.”
Bluesky has grown increasingly popular for those on the left.
Bash asked Fetterman if his depression was going to prohibit him from launching another campaign for the Senate. Fetterman shook his head and said he fully plans on running for reelection in 2028.
In another interview on Tuesday, Fetterman defended his voting record to Fox News. “I represent Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania keeps people honest. We live with people with different views, and I know and love many of them. ... They’re not Nazis, they’re not fascists, they’re not trying to destroy our democracy.”
Fetterman added that he has been trying to follow his own values, “even if that means I move against the majority of my caucus like just happened here tonight.”