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Miles Archer

(24,409 posts)
Fri May 22, 2026, 12:06 AM Friday

Fetterman mocks free healthcare, calls the Epstein Files a nothingburger, & whizzes on Alex Pretti's grave

Messages obtained by New York Magazine show the Democrat, who has been a thorn in his party’s side on a host of issues, mocking free healthcare, dismissing the Epstein files as a “nothing burger,” and calling Democrats hypocritical for their outrage at the killing of nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

“How should it cost? Free?” he wrote. “I don’t understand what affordability it is.”

Also in January, as the Trump administration was dragging its heels about releasing the Epstein files, Fetterman messaged a staffer: “Epstein was a nothing burger. Worst pics I’ve seen were from Clinton lol.”

“Kyle Rittenhouse brought a gun to a protest,” Fetterman, 56, texted a staffer. “He was roundly condemned for that. Why are now democrats defending the nurse it was legal to carry. Both legal weapons. Square that.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumpy-texts-from-maga-favorite-dem-john-fetterman-exposed-in-bombshell-leak/

70 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Fetterman mocks free healthcare, calls the Epstein Files a nothingburger, & whizzes on Alex Pretti's grave (Original Post) Miles Archer Friday OP
Dude is not well. OAITW r.2.0 Friday #1
Nope FHRRK1 Friday #4
He was a POS Boo1 Friday #5
He's not well. He's also an asshole and that's not new. We need to not think that a stroke is the basis for him being a themaguffin Friday #52
what a maroon. rittenhouse killed 2 people with his legal gun. msongs Friday #2
Pretti's handgun was holstered during mostly calm protests Cosmocat Friday #51
Tell that to the Survivors of PEDO's Cha Friday #3
The files include accusations of Trump Johonny Friday #30
Rock Stupid and a GD Gaslighting Liar for Cha Friday #70
He's a scumbag opportunist that sucks up to anyone with power SunImp Friday #6
He can go fuck right off fujiyamasan Friday #7
I know.. Fetterman is really off Cha Friday #9
Every word he spews just pisses me off more fujiyamasan Friday #10
Same.. if you see my post down Cha Friday #13
I fully expect him to flip JBTaurus83 Friday #26
Yeah, do it for PEDO. Cha Friday #69
How fucking dare Fetterman dsmiss Cha Friday #8
Fuck that con artist. dalton99a Friday #11
Fetterman needs to be removed from office sakabatou Friday #12
Little Kyle's gun wasn't timms139 Friday #14
archive link Celerity Friday #15
Thank you! n/t Raine1967 Friday #34
yw Celerity Friday #36
We need 51 Dem senators. +4. scipan Friday #16
52, as if Fetterman defects on a vote (and he will) and we have 51 Dems counting Fetty, Vance would break a 50/50 tie Celerity Friday #17
Hopefully we can add Nebraska JBTaurus83 Friday #27
I do not think Osborn, if he wins, will caucus with either party. That said, hopefully he votes as a Dem would far more Celerity Friday #35
Jesse Helms was a Democrat. LuvLoogie Friday #18
DAVID DUKE WAS A REPUBLICAN. JESSE HELMS WAS........ ColoringFool Friday #19
LOL. Helms was a Dem before he switched to R LuvLoogie Friday #20
Completely disingenuous. intheflow Friday #23
Not disingenuous. It's the point. LuvLoogie Friday #25
The 1960s Civil Rights Acts caused southern Democrats to switch. yardwork Friday #31
Fetterman calling himself a Democrat does not insulate him from LuvLoogie Friday #50
MLK was never a Republican TVguyCards Friday #24
You're right. LuvLoogie Friday #29
Not sure I understand. Are we supposed to support Democrats even if they are racist scum? Autumn Friday #42
The contradiction is the point. LuvLoogie Friday #45
Thank you for clearing that up. I agree 100% Autumn Friday #49
New York Magazine on Senator Fetterman Passages Friday #21
Centrist pov Emile Friday #22
Jesus, this guy is grade A Trump level stupid Johonny Friday #28
Manchin voted with the democrats 89% Emile Friday #32
How much of that was unanimous or near-unanimous legislation though? ck4829 Friday #63
At least Manchin was from a red state D_Master81 Friday #39
Any good will I still had for Fetterman is now gone. Zero sympathy for his medical conditions now. Botany Friday #33
+1. I think his stroke was a scam. dalton99a Friday #43
I guess that I'd like to know how he managed to hoodwink enough people to get elected. Nobody saw the signs? Firestorm49 Friday #37
I can't help but wonder about his spouse. Raine1967 Friday #38
She seems to have more empathy then he does! GCG Friday #41
Why is he still a Democrat? Omnipresent Friday #40
If I have a stroke, I'd rather have it kill me... -misanthroptimist Friday #44
The guy sounds more and more ridiculous every time he opens his hideous mouth. Borogove Friday #46
The 1 term senator from Penn said what? D_Master81 Friday #47
Next insider trade list must have been received then. n/t flvegan Friday #48
KYLE RITTENHOUSE IS NOT DEAD. CousinIT Friday #53
And that little shit Rittenhouse KILLED MadLinguist Friday #62
DINO ? republianmushroom Friday #54
Centrist Emile Friday #64
That's MAGA talk awesomerwb1 Friday #55
He does like them freedom-fried potaters, mmm-hmmm.... Blue Owl Friday #68
My theory about this guy: PCIntern Friday #56
If I have a stroke, I hope it finishes me off instead of damaging my brain so badly like we see with Fetterman ck4829 Friday #57
My bet is he defects WinningAgain Friday #58
John Fetterman sees nothing wrong with child traffiking! Dawson Leery Friday #59
Is he on the list? TrunKated Friday #60
As U.S. Senator he gets solid PLATINUM health care for $0. Ars Longa Friday #61
When Fetterman first ran for MustLoveBeagles Friday #65
WTAF is wrong with that guy? Blue Owl Friday #66
OMG Rittenhouse KILLED SOMEONE senseandsensibility Friday #67

themaguffin

(5,419 posts)
52. He's not well. He's also an asshole and that's not new. We need to not think that a stroke is the basis for him being a
Fri May 22, 2026, 11:22 AM
Friday

...dick to Democrats and Americans.

Cosmocat

(15,477 posts)
51. Pretti's handgun was holstered during mostly calm protests
Fri May 22, 2026, 11:13 AM
Friday

other than ICE goons doing ICE goon shit ...

Rittenhouse was was brandishing an AR during a full on riot ... and used it to kill people.

Cha

(320,774 posts)
3. Tell that to the Survivors of PEDO's
Fri May 22, 2026, 12:15 AM
Friday

attacks on girls, Fetterman. And, if it's so "nothingbuger." Why won't PEDO release the files? You maga moron

Johonny

(26,643 posts)
30. The files include accusations of Trump
Fri May 22, 2026, 09:28 AM
Friday

Engaged in pedophilia and rape... They don't have those accusation against Clinton. So, apparently he is rock stupid.

Cha

(320,774 posts)
70. Rock Stupid and a GD Gaslighting Liar for
Fri May 22, 2026, 06:23 PM
Friday

PEDO.

Fetterman really stepped in it with that one.. Denying Traitor is a pedophile.

fujiyamasan

(2,064 posts)
7. He can go fuck right off
Fri May 22, 2026, 01:00 AM
Friday

I’d be fine if he just left the party now.

At least it doesn’t give us a false idea of our senate numbers. Unless we have a majority not counting him, we shouldn’t consider it a majority.

Cha

(320,774 posts)
9. I know.. Fetterman is really off
Fri May 22, 2026, 01:17 AM
Friday

his full blown maga rocker.

But we need his Dem status for the numbers.. and then in 2028 Swap him out for a Real Dem.

And, say Bye turn coat Fascist Asshole to whatever that was.

fujiyamasan

(2,064 posts)
10. Every word he spews just pisses me off more
Fri May 22, 2026, 01:19 AM
Friday

I think he’s just enjoying being a contrarian ass hole. He thinks he’s edgy or something.

Cha

(320,774 posts)
13. Same.. if you see my post down
Fri May 22, 2026, 01:31 AM
Friday

thread I'm breathing

Fetterman seems to think he's in the catbird seat and daring us to do anything about it.

Cha

(320,774 posts)
8. How fucking dare Fetterman dsmiss
Fri May 22, 2026, 01:09 AM
Friday

The vicious murder of Alex Pretti because he had a gun with him.

And, scoff off Rittenhouse because he brought a gun and killed 2 people.

Fetterman is fucking Gaslighting America in a hoodie.

timms139

(565 posts)
14. Little Kyle's gun wasn't
Fri May 22, 2026, 01:57 AM
Friday

legal ,him being under the legal age to carry that weapon to the protest .

scipan

(3,109 posts)
16. We need 51 Dem senators. +4.
Fri May 22, 2026, 02:19 AM
Friday

I don't want to see him in the Manchin/Sinema position.

Cooper NC
Platner ME
Peltola AK
Sherrod Brown OH
Whoever MI holding
Pappas NH holding
Ossoff GA holding

Celerity

(54,933 posts)
17. 52, as if Fetterman defects on a vote (and he will) and we have 51 Dems counting Fetty, Vance would break a 50/50 tie
Fri May 22, 2026, 02:26 AM
Friday

Celerity

(54,933 posts)
35. I do not think Osborn, if he wins, will caucus with either party. That said, hopefully he votes as a Dem would far more
Fri May 22, 2026, 09:40 AM
Friday
than he votes as a Rethug would.

LuvLoogie

(8,932 posts)
18. Jesse Helms was a Democrat.
Fri May 22, 2026, 02:32 AM
Friday

David Duke was a Democrat.

John Fetterman is a Democrat

But a racist is a racist,
and a POS quisling is a POS quisling.

Support Democrats.

LuvLoogie

(8,932 posts)
20. LOL. Helms was a Dem before he switched to R
Fri May 22, 2026, 07:07 AM
Friday

Duke ran for office in the 70s and 80s as a Dem.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Republican

Support Democrats.

intheflow

(30,256 posts)
23. Completely disingenuous.
Fri May 22, 2026, 08:23 AM
Friday

The parties switched ideologies starting in the 1930s. As with many things, white Southern politicians were slow to catch on to reality.

LuvLoogie

(8,932 posts)
25. Not disingenuous. It's the point.
Fri May 22, 2026, 09:12 AM
Friday

I got a hide for calling Fetterman a POS. I support little d democratic principles, justice, care of fellow man, and the planet among other things. Inasmuch as the big D Democrats work for that, I'll support them. Inasmuch as democratic principles, justice, etc. are part of the Democratic Party Platform, I support the party. People who call themselves Democrats while undermining these principles can pound sand. A racist is a racist. A piece of shit quisling is a piece of shit quisling.

There are a lot of Democrats recently elected who serve more as a check on our principles than as a check on this racist criminal regime. The Polis clemency for Peters, Spanberger's vetoes, Dems voting for the Laiken Riley Act and anti LGBTQ legislation, are prime examples.

Bill Kristol became a Democrat. I welcome him. Fetterman can't leave soon enough. Our problems run deep. trump gives cover to that deeply seated rot, ironically, while exposing it and implementing it openly. He draws fire while Republicans enable and many Democrats roll over. Our party leadership, of late, has only done whatever it takes to eek out a chance to hold the gavel for a few sessions, never building a plan for democratic principles for the long term. We are cowed by bigots and donors into meek acquiescence to the demonization of our principles and the people we supposedly champion.

Fuck Fetterman. Calling himself a Democrat shouldn't give him carte blanche on this site. He is a narcissistic quisling.

MLK was a good man who stood on his principles of love and justice.

At some point we need to hold members of OUR party to defending and promoting OUR principles. I'm not talking about electoral purity tests. These sellings-out are perpetrated by Dems who already hold office, and being in the minority provides them cover.



yardwork

(69,680 posts)
31. The 1960s Civil Rights Acts caused southern Democrats to switch.
Fri May 22, 2026, 09:29 AM
Friday

I've lived in NC since the 1970s. Jesse Helms was a vile racist radio host who became a vile racist politician.

You are correct that it's not relevant to say "Jesse Helms was a Democrat." The entirety of his political career was as a right wing Republican. He never switched ideologies.

What's happening with Fetterman is something different.

LuvLoogie

(8,932 posts)
50. Fetterman calling himself a Democrat does not insulate him from
Fri May 22, 2026, 11:08 AM
Friday

being called out as a quisling.

TVguyCards

(17 posts)
24. MLK was never a Republican
Fri May 22, 2026, 08:37 AM
Friday

This is a myth not supported by historical evidence and one that the right tries it's best to platform every year when MLK Day rolls around. In fact if we're being honest, MLK, Jr. never identified as a member of either party although he did mostly vote for Democrats. His focus was on advancing civil rights than advancing a political party.

Britannica has a very good article on this.

Was Martin Luther King, Jr., a Republican or a Democrat?

LuvLoogie

(8,932 posts)
29. You're right.
Fri May 22, 2026, 09:27 AM
Friday

I was coming from the point that it did not matter if he was. He never held or ran for political office. The power he was seeking was for the people within themselves through the principles of justice and love. He appealed to politicians based on that. Party affiliation and platforms were in flux during his time.

Now, the different platforms and principles are clear. The centrists are selling ours out to data centers, private prisons, and private equity.

Autumn

(49,023 posts)
42. Not sure I understand. Are we supposed to support Democrats even if they are racist scum?
Fri May 22, 2026, 10:05 AM
Friday

Helms is dead, Duke is active in promoting antisemitic and white nationalist views. Do we still have to support them?

LuvLoogie

(8,932 posts)
45. The contradiction is the point.
Fri May 22, 2026, 10:25 AM
Friday

Calling yourself a Democrat should not give you cover for shit votes or executive actions.

Passages

(4,528 posts)
21. New York Magazine on Senator Fetterman
Fri May 22, 2026, 08:00 AM
Friday

Alex Shultz@AlexShultz
New: I spoke to a dozen sources about John Fetterman's dwindling inner circle; his closest confidant is now an unpaid adviser named David Safier, who's jokingly referred to as "chief" by staffers. Fetterman's actual chief of staff quit yesterday


Johonny

(26,643 posts)
28. Jesus, this guy is grade A Trump level stupid
Fri May 22, 2026, 09:23 AM
Friday

I hope his staffer explained to him just how fucking stupid he is.

He officially is worse than Joe Manchin. Joe wasn't this level of stupid at all.

Emile

(43,306 posts)
32. Manchin voted with the democrats 89%
Fri May 22, 2026, 09:29 AM
Friday

of the time, Fetterman votes with the democratic party 92% of the time.

D_Master81

(2,691 posts)
39. At least Manchin was from a red state
Fri May 22, 2026, 09:47 AM
Friday

I figured he did what he did out of strategy to stay in his seat. Fetterman is worse and is from a much more blue state than WV

Botany

(77,887 posts)
33. Any good will I still had for Fetterman is now gone. Zero sympathy for his medical conditions now.
Fri May 22, 2026, 09:33 AM
Friday

Time for Fetterman to have a stroke 2.0 and get him out office.

Firestorm49

(4,567 posts)
37. I guess that I'd like to know how he managed to hoodwink enough people to get elected. Nobody saw the signs?
Fri May 22, 2026, 09:42 AM
Friday

Raine1967

(11,693 posts)
38. I can't help but wonder about his spouse.
Fri May 22, 2026, 09:45 AM
Friday

If my husband did such a 180 politically, we'd have a real problem.

GCG

(120 posts)
41. She seems to have more empathy then he does!
Fri May 22, 2026, 10:01 AM
Friday
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gisele_Barreto_Fetterman

As first lady of Braddock, Pennsylvania, Fetterman founded the Braddock Free Store, a non-profit organization that provides local lower-income families with toys, diapers, baby formula, clothing, household items, and furniture.

She has pushed for the United States Congress to take "humane and compassionate" approaches to immigration, and petitioned that immigrant families should not be separated. She spoke in favor of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for attempting to end the program.

Omnipresent

(7,527 posts)
40. Why is he still a Democrat?
Fri May 22, 2026, 09:57 AM
Friday

Does he not know that Pennsylvanian’s aren’t going to accept this behavior, even if he changes parties.

D_Master81

(2,691 posts)
47. The 1 term senator from Penn said what?
Fri May 22, 2026, 10:42 AM
Friday

At this point I’m assuming he is being paid by someone to just shit on the Democratic Party because no one watching the current state of politics should be thinking the way is to go towards MAGA and the right

CousinIT

(12,768 posts)
53. KYLE RITTENHOUSE IS NOT DEAD.
Fri May 22, 2026, 11:35 AM
Friday

So - there's THAT.

Fetterman just needs to GTFO - switch parties or go Indy. Good fucking riddance.

MadLinguist

(919 posts)
62. And that little shit Rittenhouse KILLED
Fri May 22, 2026, 01:00 PM
Friday

Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum with impunity. Fetterman knows this, the twisted dick.

PCIntern

(28,612 posts)
56. My theory about this guy:
Fri May 22, 2026, 11:41 AM
Friday

He was a repressed Pennsylvania-typical-hick-asshole who saw which way the wind was blowing and latched onto the candidate for Governor at the time (whom I knew personally). After his injury he’s lost frontal lobe editing and you’re seeing the real guy now. Yep.

ck4829

(38,098 posts)
57. If I have a stroke, I hope it finishes me off instead of damaging my brain so badly like we see with Fetterman
Fri May 22, 2026, 11:42 AM
Friday

Ars Longa

(583 posts)
61. As U.S. Senator he gets solid PLATINUM health care for $0.
Fri May 22, 2026, 12:57 PM
Friday

So of course he disses other people for complaining about wildly exorbitant
health care!

MustLoveBeagles

(17,366 posts)
65. When Fetterman first ran for
Fri May 22, 2026, 01:44 PM
Friday

Federal office I thought we were getting a fighter and we have. He's a fighter against his own party. I don't know why he doesn't switch already. This is why the Dems can't have nice things. It seems like we always have 1 or 2 of these bozos mucking things up.

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