Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman’s newly released memoir, Unfettered, offers his most detailed account yet of the political battles, personal crises and defining moments that shaped his path from Braddock mayor to one of the nation’s most recognizable senators.
The book centers on Fetterman’s mental health journey, including his recovery from a stroke and the severe depression that led to his hospitalization at Walter Reed. But it also delves deeply into the political friction that has trailed him for years — particularly with Gov. Josh Shapiro.
A full chapter, titled “The Shapiro Affair,” recounts the breakdown of their relationship during their time together on the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons. Fetterman describes a series of heated disagreements over commutation cases, culminating in a tense 2020 meeting in which he muttered an insult into an open microphone during deliberations over the Horton brothers, two men he believed deserved release. He writes that he ultimately threatened to challenge Shapiro for governor if the attorney general did not reconsider his votes. Although the board ultimately commuted the Hortons’ sentences, Fetterman says the relationship “never recovered.”
The memoir also revisits the 2013 shotgun incident that resurfaced during his Senate primary, framing it as a moment when he acted out of concern after believing he heard gunfire. He defends his refusal to apologize, saying critics’ attacks implied racist motives that he rejects.
Fetterman offers blunt assessments of the U.S. Senate, lamenting what he sees as rigid party-line voting and a lack of institutional purpose. He acknowledges shortcomings in his own performance, from missed votes to limited public appearances, and reflects on the difficulty of balancing the legislative, political and fundraising demands of the job.
The book also touches on his unexpectedly cordial relationships with Republicans such as Sens. Katie Britt and Ted Cruz, while noting that criticism from the left has often been harsher than attacks from conservatives.
In one of the memoir’s most surprising sections, Fetterman describes meeting with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago ahead of Trump’s second inauguration, arguing that speaking with the leader of a politically divided nation is part of his responsibility as a senator from a swing state.
Source: Phila. Inquirer