Politics

US Midterms: Senate Candidate John Fetterman Fit For Work, Doctor Says

OCT 20 2022·Updated DEC 14 2022

Story

Image credit: Associated Press [via CNN]

The Facts

Pennsylvania Senate Democratic candidate Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, "has no work restrictions and can work full duty in public office," according to a letter from his doctor released by Fetterman's campaign on Wednesday.
USA Today
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Dr. Clifford Chen, who became Fetterman's primary care physician following his stroke in May, carried out physical exams on Friday and concluded that the Senate candidate is in good health.
Inquirer
The news came a day after his Republican opponent Mehmet Oz's campaign urged Fetterman to publish his medical records in order to provide transparency for voters. The call came in the form of a letter signed by 15 physicians in Pennsylvania.
Business Insider
A spokesperson for the Oz campaign has praised the disclosure of this new medical report as "good news," adding that now the Democrat is healthy he can "start taking live questions from voters and reporters, and do a second debate."
CNN
Dr. Chen has stated that Fetterman's speech is normal, but he still has symptoms of an auditory processing disorder. Fetterman is set to debate with Oz next Tuesday ahead of the midterm election on Nov. 8.
NBC
An AARP poll released on Tuesday found that 48% of likely voters back Fetterman, while 46% support his GOP rival to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. Although the Democrat is still ahead, the findings represent a four-point decline in support for Fetterman since June's polls.
Forbes

Sources Split

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The Spin

Republican narrative

Fetterman's campaign is again trying to mislead the public about the candidate's health — we must remember that this is just a one-page letter from his doctor claiming that he's fit for public office work, not medical records proving it. Ignoring the alarming results of his exams, which have been downplayed by Chen, this document contradicts recent reports from NBC reporter Dasha Burns, who questioned whether the Senate candidate could even understand what she was saying during a recent interview.

PJ Media

Democratic narrative

This medical report proves that Fetterman has been recovering well from his stroke and openly talking about this medical challenge with Pennsylvanians. Despite the GOP's cynical attempt to use his health condition as an electoral tool against him, voters are focused on policies, not opportunistic attacks. The truth is that, while Fetterman will be much better by January, Oz will still be a fraud.