Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate John Fetterman sat down for an interview with reporter Dasha Burns at his home, which aired on Tuesday, Oct. 11. This was his first in-person interview since suffering a stroke in late May, and most of the conversation focused on his ability to effectively serve Pennsylvanians in Senate.
However, throughout the interview, Fetterman had difficulties enunciating words and, at times, expressing his thoughts.
The first topic of discussion centered around the Democratic candidate’s necessary accommodations. For the interview, he used closed-captioning technology to understand the questions due to auditory processing issues.
“I don’t think [my accommodations are] going to have an impact. I feel like I’m going to get better and better every day,” the Democratic Candidate said when asked if these adjustments will affect his work in Senate. “And by January, I’m going to be much better, and Dr. [Mehmet] Oz is still going to be a fraud.”
Burns then emphasized Fetterman’s past statements in which he revealed that he does not take care of his health. However, Fetterman shared that he is not frustrated by the stroke; it has instead made him more empathetic to Americans suffering from similar diseases. He then stressed that he has been completely transparent about his health with Pennsylvania residents—but he has not publicly shared his medical records.
“This isn’t without precedent, right? In 2012, Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois suffered a stroke during his race. After some pressure, he released [medical] records,” Burns stated. “You’ve been called on by the Washington Post, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the New York Times. There are a lot of folks asking for this, so why not release the records?”
Fetterman then repeated that he has been transparent by campaigning throughout Pennsylvania. He also said the Oct. 25 debate with Oz will demonstrate his openness.
When asked about the increasing competitiveness of the Senate polls, unlike the gubernatorial race, Fetterman stated that the immense funding from the Republican Party and negative press on Fox News has greatly impacted the election.
“I’m going to run the kind of race that we’ve run, and of course, it’ll be closer. But it’s a different kind of race, a different dynamic, and it’s a national call that is going to be made at the national level, not just in Pennsylvania,” Fetterman said, addressing his confidence in winning the election.
The questioning then focused on specific political issues, including crime, abortion and opioids.
However, after the interview, Burns noted Fetterman’s difficulties in answering her questions.
“In small talk before the interview without captioning, it wasn’t clear he was understanding our conversation,” she said on NBC Nightly News.
This statement drew public criticism, with some claiming that Burns was insensitive to Fetterman’s condition and impaired cognitive functions due to the stroke.
“It’s possible for two different reporters to have two different experiences [with] a candidate,” Burns tweeted in response to the backlash. “Our team was in the room [with] him & reported what happened in it, as journalists do. Before & after closed captioning was on.”
After the fumbles throughout the interview, many voters are looking to the Oct. 25 debate in Harrisburg to decide if Fetterman is suitable to serve in office.
