Senator John Fetterman Blames Dr. Mehmet Oz and 'Vicious' 2022 Campaign Season for His Depression
May 4 2023, Published 2:45 p.m. ET
Democratic Senator John Fetterman blamed Dr. Mehmet Oz and the “vicious” 2022 campaign season for his ongoing battle with depression, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a surprising interview to come roughly one month after the 53-year-old senator was released from the hospital following a six-week stay for depression, Fetterman spoke about his lingering mental health issues to CBS News affiliate KDKA-TV.
“I feel fantastic, honestly,” Fetterman told the Pittsburgh-based outlet following his first official week back in Washington. “A lot of people have asked: 'Hey, how are you feeling? How's your depression?'”
“Again, it's in remission,” he continued, “and I am just so grateful to be feeling great.”
“It was after the brutality of the campaign,” Fetterman added regarding the onset of his depression and his cut-throat campaign last year against GOP Senate candidate Dr. Oz. “Some people believe that it was one of the most vicious political campaigns.”
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Senator Fetterman came under significant scrutiny both before and after winning the Pennsylvania Senate election in November due to the fact he suffered a stroke in May 2022.
During the campaign season, as well as during at least one debate against Dr. Oz, the Democratic politician was forced to use a special monitor to help him overcome “lingering auditory processing issues” resulting from his stroke.
“I don’t think there’s closed captioning on the floor of the Senate, and maybe he doesn’t need closed captioning when he’s actually moving around,” Dr. Oz said in October during the pair’s debate. “But maybe he does.”
“Again, lots of question marks,” Dr. Oz added at the time, “and voters deserve better.”
Upon officially joining the Senate in January, Fetterman was once again provided “assistive technology” to help him both comprehend questions and communicate with his fellow lawmakers.
He then came under fire in April after struggling to read his first opening committee hearing statement before the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research.
“All of this is so fundamental that he didn’t need a script,” critiqued 2024 congressional candidate Jerrod Sessler after a clip of Fetterman surfaced online. “What happens when he gets through the [easy] part?”
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Despite the pushback against Fetterman and the concerns raised regarding his mental health and stroke recovery, the lawmaker insisted he is fully capable of serving in the Senate.
“Hell, yes, and that's why I'm doing it,” Fetterman said during his interview this week. “Just the way any Pennsylvanians are working is you take it a day and a day and work hard, and that's exactly what I've been doing here.”
