Sen. John Fetterman rushed back to the campaign trail after his near-fatal stroke in 2021 may have caused permanent brain damage, his chief of staff admitted after Fetterman had been sworn into office.
Now, after two stints in the hospital, Fetterman has finally returned to the Senate floor — and his first address to a senatorial subcommittee caused immediate concern.
Is Fetterman able to handle the rigorous demands of the U.S. Senate?
Or is he being coerced on stage by his staff?
Fetterman was hospitalized for clinical depression in February and stayed sequestered in the hospital and at home for over six weeks.
Fetterman’s initial announcement that he was checking himself into the hospital for depression earlier this year came as a shock, even to his critics. The Pennsylvania Democrat has struggled in his stroke recovery and still suffers with auditory processing disorder, which can render someone unable to speak fluidly or to quickly process spoken conversation into meaning.
Fetterman’s inability to understand language has been compared to Charlie Brown listening to his teacher in the Peanuts cartoon. He relies on electronic devices in conversations, meetings, and congressional hearings that transcribe spoken words in real time.
He may never recover.
His return back to the Senate floor caused concern as he stumbled through a brief statement. Some called the clip “frightening” and others said it justified their campaign concerns over Fetterman’s health.
But don’t take our word for it. Take a look and decide for yourself —
John Fetterman struggles through his opening speech as a Senate subcommittee chair pic.twitter.com/2wf4cp7JHv
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) April 19, 2023
The Associated Press contributed to this article.