Appearing on stage five months after his stroke, Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s 53-year-old lieutenant governor, struggled to complete sentences, and he jumbled words throughout the hourlong televised e…
By STEVE PEOPLES and MARC LEVY
But with so much hinging on his campaign, some Democrats expressed concern that Fetterman’s appearance at Tuesday night’s debate was a mistake. While he would have been criticized for skipping the forum, they felt that might have been better than exposing him in such a difficult environment — for a performance that his Republican opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, can exploit in ads and social media clips in the closing days of the contest.
His campaign did not respond to an interview request on Wednesday. It said Fetterman had already raised more than $2 million since the end of the debate in what campaign manager Brendan McPhillips called “a gigantic show of support for John and his debate performance.” “Putting a timer on someone adds pressure to a system that is already working hard,” Hatfield said. “Ultimately it’s important to remember that changes in communication are different than changes in intelligence, reasoning and other cognitive skills.”The Pennsylvania contest represents the Democratic Party’s best opportunity to flip a Senate seat currently held by Republicans, who are aggressively challenging Democratic incumbents across Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and New Hampshire.
Fetterman’s campaign and other Democrats sought to focus Wednesday on Oz’s comments about abortion during the debate. The Republican said he wanted abortion access decided by “women, doctors, local political leaders,” a comment that suggested he believed there was a role for public officials in determining whether women can obtain the procedure, which remains legal in Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, Oz on Wednesday was attending an event in the state capital with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate. Oz avoided Fetterman’s health at the event, as he did during the debate, focusing instead on crime.