Sen. John Fetterman has a reputation for online trolling.
But he doesn't even have X on his phone anymore.
He said he realized in the last year that it's "not very helpful to promoting mental health."
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Sen. John Fetterman doesn't have X, formerly known as Twitter, on his own phone — despite his reputation for online trolling.
In an interview with POLITICO, the Pennsylvania Democrat said that he'd deleted the app in the last year and doesn't spend any time on it — citing his own mental health.
"I don't spend any time on Twitter and that's the truth. I encourage you — you can check my personal phone. I couldn't even get on Twitter if I had to," said Fetterman. "It was not very helpful to promoting mental health."
Despite not using the app himself, he still plays a big role in crafting memes and other cheeky tweets, which his staff then posts for him.
Bobby Gold Bars is punishing competent and outstanding public servants to distract from his impending penal career move. @SenatorMenendez retract your petty hold, then RESIGN as the perfect Christmas present for the people of NJ and the U.S. Senate. 🎄🎁 https://t.co/TdSURsk5mF — Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) December 22, 2023
In the past year, Fetterman has emerged as an unlikely advocate for mental health.
In February, he checked into Walter Reed Medical Center with a case of clinical depression, staying away from the Senate for six weeks as he sought treatment.
"The whole thing about depression is that objectively, you may have won, but depression can absolutely convince you that you actually lost," the senator said in April. "And that's exactly what happened. And that was the start of a downward spiral."
He has since recovered, emerging as an unorthodox figure who's pushed the boundaries of the Senate dress code, vocally pushed for the expulsion or resignation of the indicted Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, and taken positions on Israel and immigration that have put him odds with progressives.