Senate candidate and current Lt. Gov. John Fetterman slurred his words and required closed captioning during his first in-person interview since his stroke in May as the Pennsylvania Senate race tightens.
The interview on NBC News Tuesday only raised more questions about Fetterman’s health and ability to serve if elected next month.
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While discussing his empathy for people suffering from challenges, such as recovering from a stroke, Fetterman struggled with his speech, blaming any lingering effects to his speech on the near-fatal stroke he suffered earlier this year.
“I always thought I was very empathetic before having a stroke, but now, after having that stroke, I really understand, you know, much more the challenges Americans have day in and day out,” Fetterman said.
Pennsylvania Lt. Governor and Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman sat down with @DashaBurns in an exclusive interview using closed captioning.
Fetterman discussed his recovery after suffering a stroke in the primaries and his race against Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz. pic.twitter.com/0fee1cKXgY
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) October 11, 2022
During the interview, Fetterman used a closed-captioning system on his computer to understand NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns’s questions.
The lieutenant governor has refused to release medical records or allow a member of his medical team to be interviewed by any news outlet, while his Republican opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, has released his health records and called for transparency on the matter.
Fetterman is battling Oz for the open Senate seat in the Keystone State, with a single debate between the two candidates scheduled for Oct. 25 in Harrisburg.
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The Real Clear Politics polling average shows Fetterman with a 3.7 percentage point lead over Oz, down from an 8.7 percentage point lead two months ago. RCP has rated the race as a “toss-up.”
