The Republicans are finished waiting for Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman to recover from a stroke suffered just before winning the Democratic Senate nomination.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is airing a television advertisement slamming Fetterman for supporting President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and myriad liberal policies, chief among them socialized medicine. The spot hit Pennsylvania airwaves Friday as Fetterman remained off the campaign trail and out of public view while recuperating from a stroke.
“Fetterman sided with socialists, backed a government takeover of healthcare, embraced parts of the Green New Deal that’d cost you 50,000 bucks a year,” says an ominous voiceover in the NRSC’s new ad. “Fetterman said Democrats need to be ruthless. Bernie Sanders calls Fetterman an outstanding progressive. Fetterman admits he’ll always vote with Democrats. In this economy, that’s the last thing we need.”
The Fetterman campaign did not provide details on the lieutenant governor’s condition when asked for an update by the Washington Examiner.
But late Friday, Fetterman’s cardiologist revealed the Democrat has cardiomyopathy, in which the heart muscle is weakened and enlarged, constricting blood flow and causing irregular heartbeats that can be deadly. The cardiologist said the lieutenant governor will return to normal — if he improves his diet, exercises, and takes prescribed medication. This news was first reported by the Associated Press, which cited a statement from the Fetterman campaign.
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The Fetterman campaign later posted a lengthy statement from the candidate’s cardiologist to its website. The disclosure sheds light on his health problems dating to 2017, divulging information that suggests the lieutenant governor was irresponsible and ignored warnings about his condition. The cardiologist said Fetterman failed to take prescribed medications and have regular medical checkups “with any doctor” for the past five years. Fetterman now has a pacemaker.
However, Fetterman’s cardiologist said he believes the Democrat is “taking his recovery and his health very seriously this time” and declared him fit for the rigors of the campaign trail, and service in Senate, “if he takes his medications, eats healthy and exercises.”
Fetterman, 52, had a stroke a few days before Pennsylvania’s May 17 primary. He easily won the Senate nomination nonetheless and immediately announced a burst of grassroots fundraising. The lieutenant governor has spent the subsequent 17 days rehabilitating from what is generally considered a serious illness that can lead to permanent mental and physical impairment, and sometimes death.
During this period, Fetterman used Twitter to communicate with voters and reassure Democrats he is on the mend and healthy enough to represent the party in what could be a brutal general election. Indeed, Fetterman responded to the NRSC’s advertisement in a video he posted on Twitter.
“So, the Republicans just launched TV attack ads on me and our campaign. They’re literally spending over 2 million bucks,” he said.
“You have had my back in a big way over these last few weeks, and I need your support now,” Fetterman added. “Can you chip in 10 bucks to help me fight back against the GOP? They have the dark money groups, but I am bought and paid for by you.”
The lieutenant governor’s social media presence was not sufficient to assuage all Democrats. They think highly of Fetterman as a candidate but worried because he shared little about his prognosis or timetable for returning to the campaign trail prior to Friday’s revelations. With his reputation of being authentic and an open book, key Fetterman strengths, some Democrats fretted that the lack of information about his health could mean he was in worse shape than initially presumed.
“He’s built his brand on transparency and is a master of social media,” T.J. Rooney, a former Pennsylvania Democratic Party chairman, said before the statement from Fetterman’s cardiologist was publicized. “If someone is transparent, the one way to not lie is to say nothing.”
However, plenty of Democrats involved in this race claimed confidence in Fetterman, his campaign organization, and his prospects, despite the fact that the midterm elections are unfolding as a Republican wave. To begin with, the GOP still lacks a nominee. The race between former hedge fund executive David McCormick and Dr. Mehmet Oz, a famous television personality, is mired in a recount and will not be resolved until at least mid-next week.
Secondarily, Democratic operatives monitoring the Pennsylvania Senate race insisted that the Fetterman campaign was operating as it should in all aspects that do not require direct candidate engagement with voters, such as field operations and fundraising. But just to make sure, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), and Democratic groups accelerated efforts to boost Fetterman.
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The DSCC and the state party this week launched messaging attacks against McCormick and Oz and unveiled videos targeting both Republicans. Meanwhile, Senate Majority PAC, the super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), has reserved $26 million in television time in Pennsylvania, described as an initial advertising buy.
“While Republicans remain locked in their never-ending intra-party fight, Democrats are wasting no time in ensuring voters know that neither scam artist Mehmet Oz nor Wall Street insider David McCormick can be trusted to represent Pennsylvania in the Senate,” DSCC spokesman Patrick Burgwinkle said in a statement.
