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John Fetterman's rambling response in interview casts doubt over his health status

'The Washington Post' called for a full medical review for the candidate: "He stutters, appears confused and does not hold press conferences" since his stroke.

John Fetterman, Pensilvania

John Fetterman / Tom Wolf - Flickr.

Published by
Verónica Silveri Pazos

Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman (D) made waves this weekend after a video surfaced of him rambling through his answers during an interview. MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes asked Fetterman about how he was feeling and how he was doing in general, to which the candidate responded:

I'm a fan... I am doing fantastic. It's not about kicking balls in authority or anything like that.

This illogical episode comes after Fetterman suffered a stroke in May, from which he has not fully recovered. Questions about his health status persist, and he has faced constant criticism on the campaign trail about whether he is fit to serve in the Senate.

Criticism from the GOP

Fetterman's confused response sparked controversy on social media from Republicans who reacted to the video, “Like what on earth is that response,” noted Steve Guest, an aide to Senator Ted Cruz.

For his part, Nathan Brand, deputy communications director for the Republican Party, said on Twitter, "This has to be the funniest thing I've seen this cycle."

Fetterman "stutters, looks confused..."

The Washington Post Editorial Board questioned the health status of the Democratic candidate in an op-ed published in mid-September:

Since he returned to the campaign trail, Mr. Fetterman stutters, looks confused and keeps his comments brief. He has not held press conferences, acknowledges his hearing difficulties, does not respond quickly to what he hears and receives speech therapy. We wish him a full and speedy recovery, but the lingering, unanswered questions about his health, underscored by his hesitancy to debate, are disturbing.

Fetterman claimed in an interview in early September that he would debate "sometime in mid to late October" against his opponent, Republican Mehmet Oz, which the Post called "unacceptable."

The newspaper also called for the release of his medical records, as those available "are not good enough" and that he should have "an independent review" of his health status:

Fetterman's campaign lost credibility by hiding his stroke and hospitalization from the public for two days. In addition, it took even longer for him to reveal a full picture of his medical history, including that he had been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in 2017. The now candidate was implanted with a pacemaker with a defibrillator. Mr. Fetterman's doctor's note was published more than 14 weeks ago, and says he 'should be able to campaign and serve in the U.S. Senate without any problems if he takes his medications and exercises.'

The Editorial Board pointed to the fact that a doctor's note from 4 months ago stating that he can "serve in the Senate" is not enough to prove that he is fit to fulfill the duties involved in serving in the upper house of Congress.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also demanded Fetterman debate Oz, claiming the Republican "has raised legitimate concerns" about the Democrat's health.

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