‘What’s Wrong With People?’ [WATCH]

Sen. John Fetterman is speaking publicly about a personal phone call he made to Erika Kirk following the attempted attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner earlier this year, while also condemning critics who targeted her online afterward, as reported by the Gateway Pundit.

Fetterman discussed the call during an interview with Fox News published Thursday, providing new details about his outreach to Kirk after the April incident.

The Pennsylvania Democrat said he contacted Kirk because of the emotional impact the situation likely had on her following the death of her husband, Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September 2025.

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“I expressed how sorry I am,” Fetterman said. “She was frantic, understandably, after her husband was assassinated.”

Fetterman added, “How triggering that must have been for her.”

News of the phone call first surfaced shortly after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner incident when “The Charlie Kirk Show” executive producer Andrew Kolvet revealed that Fetterman had personally called Erika Kirk to check on her well-being.

Kolvet previously said the senator appeared “pretty emotional” during the conversation but did not publicly share many details at the time.

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During the Fox News interview, Fetterman described the exchange as a deeply personal conversation focused on compassion rather than politics.

“It was a very personal human interaction,” Fetterman said.

The senator also criticized people online who attacked Erika Kirk following the incident and questioned why anyone would direct hostility toward someone who had already endured personal tragedy.

“It blows. People attack a widow. I mean, what’s wrong with people? That’s bonkers,” Fetterman said.

The comments drew attention because Fetterman and Charlie Kirk often stood on opposite sides of major political debates before Kirk’s death.

Despite those differences, Fetterman’s remarks reflected a rare public moment of bipartisan empathy during a period of heightened political tensions in Washington.

The interview also touched on foreign policy issues, including President Donald Trump’s ongoing conflict with Iran and China’s role in international pressure efforts involving Tehran.

Fetterman voiced support for stronger pressure against Iran and suggested China should face economic consequences if it continues supporting Tehran.

“I think China should feel that pain,” Fetterman told Fox News. “I think that’s entirely appropriate. Why can’t China demand that?”

“Why not? Unless they want to create Iran as a nuclear power, and that would be incredibly dangerous for the whole world peace,” he added.

Still, much of the public attention surrounding the interview focused on Fetterman’s comments about Erika Kirk and the reaction that followed.

Conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck previously discussed the phone call publicly alongside Kolvet and praised Fetterman for reaching out to Kirk despite political differences.

.@AndrewKolvet tells me @JohnFetterman reached out to @MrsErikaKirk and apologized after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting:

“He was pretty emotional, and he just apologized for whatever he could. He didn’t need to… It was after everything happened. An emotional… pic.twitter.com/FP6Q1HSsPP— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) April 28, 2026

Beck later said he personally contacted Fetterman to commend him for the gesture.

The exchange between Fetterman and Kirk stood out in an increasingly divided political environment where public moments of compassion across party lines have become less common.

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