As we reported Tuesday, Sen. John Fetterman finally showed back up in to work more than two months after checking himself into Walter Reed Army Medical Center to be treated for severe depression. He had only been on the job for about a month and was still experiencing issues from a serious stroke when he went to Walter Reed. He showed up in his hoodie and shorts, refusing to take any questions from the press.
The people who loved him should have pulled him from running after he had the stroke and not put his health and recovery at such risk, particularly knowing that he already had an issue with depression. But the Democrats were more interested in their political agenda than they were in Fetterman’s long-term health.
Now the concern is how much the campaign might have hurt his recovery, given his performance Wednesday as he resumed the chairmanship of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research.
John Fetterman chaired a subcommittee hearing today.
Here is his opening statement. pic.twitter.com/Y6EHYkhkBZ
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) April 19, 2023
Two things stood out to me about his comments.
As bad and halting as they were, even with him reading from a script, it might still be better than Joe Biden, who can’t even spell “eight.” Imagine when we have to think about that, that both are in such poor condition that they shouldn’t be there but the people who claimed to love them let that happen. They’re just being fed things to read at this point. That’s not good for the people of Pennsylvania or the people of this country when we have to consider who is in worse condition. Yet Sen. Stabenow (D-MI) is just nodding and smiling like a clown, pretending there isn’t any problem. Meanwhile, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) looked concerned.
The second thing was that this was just the preparatory remarks, the introductions and such. That shouldn’t even have required a script, yet he could barely get through that. What will happen when Fetterman has to do more than simply read from a prepared script? Can you truly run a committee when you have the problems that he has?
Fetterman also seemed to struggle a bit with asking one of the witnesses a prepared question.
Here is John Fetterman asking a question to a witness at today’s subcommittee hearing. pic.twitter.com/kb2jXO9O2C
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) April 19, 2023
C-SPAN also caught some of the discussion afterward, where Fetterman had to have a staffer hold up an iPad to help translate what people are saying for Fetterman to read. But then they cut away from that.
John Fetterman has a staffer holding up his iPad as he talks to people after the hearing ended.
CSPAN cut away from that pretty quickly. pic.twitter.com/ujhOxIZuDk
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) April 19, 2023
Many had a similar reaction to the videos of Fetterman — that he shouldn’t be there and Democrats doing this put all of us in a very bad position.
John Fetterman is chairing a senate subcommittee and this was his opening statement. Good lord. This dude is not remotely well or able to do this job. Embarrassing for Pennsylvania: pic.twitter.com/hEyK6k3YUd
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) April 19, 2023
The scariest thing about this clip is how everyone pretends this is perfectly normal and fine (not doing a good job of it btw).
Our societies are turning into pretend societies. Common sense is canceled. https://t.co/Ss8saTNQhr
— hodlonaut 13%er 🌮⚡🔑 🐝 (@hodlonaut) April 19, 2023
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