Video of John Fetterman arguing about plane seatbelt takes off online

A video that was filmed earlier this year that showed Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, arguing with a flight crew member over his seatbelt on a flight to Pittsburgh has garnered significant attention online, hours after the publication of a New York Magazine’s Intelligencer report raised questions about his health.

Newsweek has reached out to Fetterman’s press team for comment via email on Saturday.

Why It Matters

The video of the verbal back-and-forth between the senator and a crew member comes just after current and former staffers raised concerns about his health in an Intelligencer article that was published Friday. The article reports that Adam Jentleson, his former chief of staff, told a Walter Reed medical director last May that he worried Fetterman “is on a bad trajectory,” and was concerned the senator “won’t be with us for much longer.”

In the article, Fetterman dismissed the concerns and allegations, calling them “disgruntled employees saying things that are either untrue or, so, that’s kind of the business that we are in.”

Fetterman’s health has been a focal point since he suffered a stroke just days before winning the primary for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat in the 2022 midterm elections. The former Pennsylvania lieutenant governor went on to defeat Republican Mehmet Oz in a key Senate victory for Democrats despite the concerns about his health.

What To Know

The plane argument, which took place in February, was referenced in the Intelligencer article as a moment when Fetterman’s behavior “was leaking out into public” and “moments like these were becoming increasingly difficult for staff to explain,” the piece states.

Fetterman was recorded on a flight to Pittsburgh exchanging in a back-and-forth with a member of the flight crew, who the Intelligencer identified as the pilot.

The flight member asked the senator if he has his seatbelt on, and Fetterman replies, “Yes it is,” later stating, “I put my seatbelt on.” Parts of the video are inaudible, particularly regarding Fetterman’s responses.

The crew member noted several times that a passenger’s seatbelt, “has to be visible to the crew at all times—it’s a federal regulation.” The member noted that “and right now, it’s not visible.” Passengers must have their seatbelts fastened during taxiing, takeoff and landing, as well as when the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign is illuminated.

“We have an [seat belt] extender if you’d like that,” the flight team member said, adding, “It would make it bigger so it could outside of your sweatshirt, would that work?”

The beginning of Fetterman’s response is inaudible, but then he can be heard saying, “Don’t really need to continue the conversation. My seatbelt is on.”

“Sir if you want to go to Pittsburgh, it’s simple: you have to follow our instructions or you’re gonna be asked to get off the airplane. We’re not asking much,” the airline employee said.

It is unclear what happens after the video ends, whether Fetterman receives a seatbelt extender to show he is wearing it.

Some of the social media posts sharing the video of Fetterman have drawn more than a million views, including one posted by conservative journalist Nick Sortor, which had 1.2 million views as of Saturday afternoon, and another from Brendan Hartnett, a research associate at Longwell Partners, with more than 1.5 million views.

The combination of Fetterman’s failure to maintain his post-stroke treatment, which staffers said included mandatory blood draws, and his depression led to periodic episodes of either inward-facing seclusion or outbursts, according to the staffers. Some told Intelligencer that they believed some of his more controversial opinions could be the result of his mental health, even as the senator claimed he was the “best version” of himself during an interview in April.

What People Are Saying

Former Democratic and independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona posted to X on Friday about the Intelligencer article: “Despicable hit piece on @JohnFetterman- I wish I was surprised anyone would publish an obvious vendetta re: a man’s medical journey. What a weird medical stalker. To the former staffer: My advice to you is to do what your parents did. Get a job, sir.”

Richard Hanania, president of the Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology (CSPI), wrote on X: “Fetterman’s former chief of staff is worried about his mental health. The signs he sees include megalomania (saying he knows the most about Gaza), telling absurd lies, social media addiction, and he doesn’t read anything on policy. This is literally [President Donald] Trump and Elon [Musk]! It’s amazing how normal behavior among the two main conservative leaders is considered to require medical intervention anywhere else.”

Conservative journalist Nick Sortor posted the video on X on May 2, writing: “WTF?! Sen. John Fetterman was caught on video BLOCKING his flight to Pittsburgh from taking off because he wanted to argue with the pilot about having to wear a seatbelt. Is he drunk? Or just an entitled slob? ‘Rules for thee, but not for me’ are the words Democrats live by.”

Derrick Evans, former West Virginia State delegate and a pardoned January 6, 2021, participant, wrote in a Friday X post: “Democrat Senator John Fetterman (PA) just held up his flight to Pittsburgh from taking off because he wanted to argue with the pilot about having to wear a seatbelt. Even funnier because this is a FEDERAL regulation. If you don’t like it then propose a bill Mr Senator.”

Claude Taylor, photographer and political operative who previously served in President Bill Clinton’s White House, wrote on X: “I’m sorry. There’s something very wrong with @JohnFetterman and we need to face it.”

What Happens Next?

Fetterman is next up for reelection in 2028.