Fetterman Returns to Senate, Blames Depression on ‘Brutal’ and ‘Vicious’ Campaign Against Dr. Oz

Senator Fetterman is back, and he says that he’s ready to serve the people of Pennsylvania after a campaign-influenced bout of depression — just in time for the upcoming debt ceiling deadline.After winning a Senate election last fall, Mr. Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed Hospital at Washington, D.C., in mid-February, seeking treatment for depression.At the time, Mr. Fetterman’s chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, said that, though Mr. Fetterman has struggled with depression throughout his life, “it only became severe in recent weeks.”In an interview with a CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh, KDKA-TV, Mr. Fetterman promised that he was feeling healthy and was ready to perform his duties as the junior U.S. senator of Pennsylvania.When asked whether he was healthy and mentally fit to serve, Mr. Fetterman responded, “Hell yes,” adding that he was taking his duties at the Senate day by day.“I feel fantastic, honestly,” Mr. Fetterman said. “A lot of people have asked, ‘Hey, how are you feeling? How’s your depression?’ Again, it’s in remission, and I am just so grateful to be feeling great.”Mr. Fetterman also said that part of the cause of his recent problems with severe depression was the “brutality of the campaign,” saying that “some people believe it was one of the most vicious campaigns.”Mr. Fetterman’s depression is also partially attributable to a stroke he suffered last May, depression being a common effect of strokes. His stroke also caused problems with auditory processing and speech issues that persist to this day.The lingering effects of the stroke on Mr. Fetterman’s health spurred questioning from his opponents and attention from the press, due mostly to his issues with speech, which attracted attention during the single campaign debate and in an opening statement during a committee meeting upon his return to the Senate.KDKA-TV reports that Mr. Fetterman doesn’t blame his campaign opponent, the television star Mehmet Oz, personally for his malaise, but after the election he realized that he needed professional treatment.The race in the perennial swing state of Pennsylvania last year was a lightning rod for attention from the press, with Mr. Fetterman facing off against his celebrity opponent.Apart from Dr. Oz’s campaign, Mr. Fetterman faced personal attacks from not only social media users questioning his mental fitness but also from conservative commentators like a former Fox News host, Tucker Carlson, who attacked Mr. Fetterman for his tattoos.Mr. Fetterman’s race also attracted spending from Republican groups trying to take control of the Senate in 2022, with more than $84 million being spent by outside groups, according to a campaign finance tracker, Open Secrets.Mr. Fetterman’s stroke recovery also took center stage in the campaign and at the debates, when the Democrat was widely criticized for his need for technological assistance with auditory processing, a common issue with those recovering from strokes.Mr. Fetterman’s six-week absence from the Senate had also left Democrats hobbled in terms of their ability to bring votes to the floor. With the absence of Senator Feinstein and Mr. Fetterman, Democrats were left with only 49 voting members at the Senate, compared to Republicans’ 50.With Mr. Fetterman’s return and Ms. Feinstein potentially resuming work as soon as next week, the Senate could be back in working order in the near future, which will be crucial in order to raise the debt ceiling before its deadline of June 1.

Fetterman Returns to Senate, Blames Depression on ‘Brutal’ and ‘Vicious’ Campaign Against Dr. Oz

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