Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, currently finds himself in the hospital mere weeks into his first term representing the Keystone State. The lawmaker was hospitalized after feeling lightheaded during a Democratic Senate retreat, then checked himself in for treatment of severe clinical depression.
Any casual observer of the election which landed Fetterman in the upper chamber of Congress, however, could have seen this story arc months in advance. The former lieutenant governor and rust-belt mayor battled serious health complications throughout the campaign and was pushed across the finish line by the left-wing media and his own family.
Fetterman suffered a stroke and was hospitalized mere days before the Democratic primary for the open Senate seat in Pennsylvania, a race he easily won despite the last-minute health complications. Ramesh Chandra, Fetterman’s cardiologist, later issued a letter clearing him to run for Senate but stating that the nominee had not visited his office for months. “I had prescribed medications along with improved diet and exercise and asked him to follow up again in the following months,” Chandra wrote. “Instead, I did not see him again until yesterday.”
Chandra added that Fetterman’s new pacemaker-defibrillator was “working perfectly” and said “he’ll be fine” to run for office and represent the state of Pennsylvania as long as he “takes his medication, eats healthy, and stays active.” Despite the optimistic outlook on his health, Pennsylvania Democrats grew increasingly nervous about the longtime Braddock mayor’s absence on the campaign trail. Even as Dr. Mehmet Oz, the state’s Republican Senate nominee, started traveling across the commonwealth for a listening tour, Fetterman made no significant public appearances for several weeks after he was discharged from the hospital.
In his first media interview, Fetterman reported that although he may “miss a word” or “slur two together,” he was “feeling really good” and has “nothing to hide.” The late summer and early fall were nevertheless marked by countless viral videos of Fetterman stuttering, slurring, and losing his train of thought during stump speeches. Questions about Fetterman’s mental acuity mounted as he repeatedly shirked an invitation to debate Oz.
Even as the misgivings about Fetterman’s health circulated, left-wing media turned a blind eye to the phenomenon. NBC News reporter Dasha Burns faced a deluge of criticism after she conducted an interview with Fetterman, observing that he “had trouble finding words” despite his use of a large computer screen and closed captioning system throughout the conversation.
Gisele Fetterman, the wife of John Fetterman, later said alongside other members of the media that Burns was “ableist” for noting that her husband has not released his medical records or provided a meaningful update on his recovery. “If this happened in a school, if this was a child that was ableist towards another child or a teacher, there would’ve been issues stated. There would have been new training done,” she commented. “What is being done at the media after a reporter came out so openly ableist towards a person? I think shocked and appalled, but sadly not surprised. I know there’s still so much to do, but it would be great to see some accountability, to actually see real change.”
When the debate with Oz eventually occurred, Fetterman faltered and provided choppy responses despite the inclusion of a closed captioning system positioned behind the moderators. Although most legacy and left-wing outlets were at this point forced to contend with Fetterman’s evident health issues, some persisted in claiming he was suitable for office. One opinion piece in USA Today claimed that Fetterman was “brave” as he faced Oz, who purportedly “belittled and bullied” the candidate.
“As I watched Fetterman’s debate performance, I did so with great pride and admiration,” asserted the author, a diversity consultant and fellow stroke victim. “I don’t think it was ‘painful’ to watch him in his debate, as some have suggested. It was a courageous example of a person rising above an obstacle in his path, willing to suffer indignities from people trying to take advantage of his disability as well as simply cruel and ignorant people.”
The supposed empathy exhibited toward Fetterman by his wife and friendly media outlets throughout the election cycle worked: the Democrat soundly defeated his Republican rival by a five-point margin. As Fetterman spends his second month in office hospitalized, however, one must wonder whether his purportedly kindhearted allies truly had his best interests in mind.