Fetterman Blames Dr. Oz for Medical Issues

John Fetterman, the junior senator from Pennsylvania, has blamed the vicious 2022 campaign against Dr. Mehmet Oz for his decline in mental health. He assured the public that he is fit to serve while recovering from an in-patient hospital stay for depression.

Fetterman was elected senator shortly after suffering a stroke in 2021, which he insists did not affect his ability to serve, although it did affect his audio comprehension. Fetterman admitted during an interview that he had to use real-time transcription programs to ensure he fully understood the questions being asked of him. One month after being sworn into office, Fetterman voluntarily admitted himself to Walter Reed Medical Center to be treated for depression.

Critics have been highly critical of Fetterman, claiming that it was clear he was not medically fit to serve in the Senate after he suffered his stroke. Republicans in Pennsylvania claim that he has not been able to fulfill his duties as senator and should resign or be replaced.

Fetterman claims that attacks on him during the 2022 Senate campaign contributed to his decline and led to his hospital stay. According to OpenSecrets, outside groups aired $84 million in attack ads against Fetterman in his campaign against Republican Dr. Oz, who had the backing of former President Donald Trump.

Despite being hospitalized for depression, Fetterman assured the public that he is fully capable of serving in Congress as he recovers. “Hell, yes, and that’s why I’m doing it,” Fetterman told KDKA-TV. “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.”

Following a successful Senate campaign last year and after being sworn into office in January, Fetterman checked himself into the military hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, just one month after taking office to be treated for clinical depression. He was discharged from Walter Reed at the end of March and returned to work at the Capitol when Congress came back from a two-week recess in April.

Fetterman’s mental health has become a topic of conversation, with many wondering if he is fit to serve. However, Fetterman assured the public that he is feeling “fantastic” and is grateful to be back to work. He hopes to continue to serve as senator and work on behalf of Pennsylvanians.