PA BRADDOCK — Following a stroke in May, John Fetterman, the Democratic candidate in a pivotal Pennsylvania Senate election, continues to have difficulty hearing and speaking correctly.
In an exclusive aired interview with NBC News that was filmed on Friday at his house, Fetterman stated that although his recovery “changes everything,” it will not prevent voters from choosing him over Republican Mehmet Oz for the Senate.
Fetterman, who started his duties as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor in May but did not start showing up at public campaign events until mid-August, said, “I don’t think it’s going to have an influence. “I believe that I will continue to improve every day. And I’m going to, you know, be a lot better by January.
In the lengthy conversation, Fetterman covered a wide range of topics, including the opioid epidemic, crime, inflation, and abortion rights—all of which have cast a shadow over the Pennsylvania campaign.
In the course of the interview, Fetterman occasionally stumbled over his words. He read subtitles on a computer screen and answered questions verbally. I occasionally have trouble understanding what I hear. To see what you’re saying on the captions, I use captioning, said, Fetterman.
He claimed that the stroke, which led to the implantation of a pacemaker with a defibrillator to monitor and control his heartbeat, had changed the way he interacts with people, including his family.
When asked how his recuperation has affected his daily life, Fetterman responded, “It changes everything. Everything about it has been altered.
Despite the difficulties he still endures, Fetterman continued, “But it gets much, much better where I take in a lot. However, to be precise, I employ captioning, making it the main difficulty. And occasionally I’ll omit a word. Once in a while. Or I might occasionally combine two words. But as long as there is captioning, I can make out what is being asked.
He stumbled over the term “empathetic” at one point, switching between the proper pronunciation and “emphatic,” before using that as an illustration of how the stroke had affected him.
When questioned about those instances, Fetterman claimed that looking for language is not a challenging task.
“No, I don’t believe it was difficult. It was simply about needing to think more slowly and more thoroughly to grasp, and that’s sometimes how processing works, according to Fetterman.
A prominent election that stands out for its high stakes, low blows, and tightening polls has made Fetterman’s health a key topic of discussion. Republicans are investing millions of dollars in advertisements that portray Fetterman as soft on crime and that reference a 2013 incident in which he detained an unarmed Black jogger at gunpoint. However, it hasn’t been enough to put Oz in the lead in any significant poll.
He said that Americans have been outraged by the court’s decision to overturn 50 years of precedent and end federal protections for abortion rights in response to a question about why he is so focused on the abortion issue at a time when many Americans claim to be more concerned about inflation and the economy.
Inflation is a major concern, said Fetterman, adding that ” they [women] believe their choice belongs with them, and not with Dr. Oz or the Republicans.”
As Oz was being criticized for having “no clue what inflation is in terms of what it feels like, what it is, and how it manifests itself,” Fetterman continued by attributing the rise in prices to “corporate greed.”
He also rebutted Republican criticism that he was too lenient on crime. Fetterman said paroles were only given in a small percentage of cases and to criminals who had shown remorse through years of good behavior. He used his position on a state parole board to advocate for the early release of some prisoners, including felons convicted of murder and other violent crimes.
About the movie “Shawshank Redemption,” Fetterman declared, “I believe in redemption.”
Additionally, he welcomed President Joe Biden’s decision last week to pardon thousands of people who had only been found guilty of marijuana possession at the federal level; earlier this year, he claimed that he had pressured Biden to push for the decriminalization of marijuana.
The notion was integrated into GOP legislation on Capitol Hill, and Fetterman said to NBC News that he supports expanding federal drug laws to make it simpler to apply mandatory minimum penalties to fentanyl distributors.
Like many other states, Pennsylvania has struggled with the misuse of painkillers like fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid that may be fatal in small amounts. Fetterman supported the fundamental purpose of a GOP bill in Congress, despite his support for the early release of some violent prisoners and without promising to sign the law.
The fact that we haven’t been able to arrest our way out of, you know, the addict, is the crux of the matter, he continued. But the pushers and dealers—who are a whole other problem—are to blame. They also deserve to be locked up.
Democrats expressed doubts about Fetterman’s prognosis and whether he had been candid enough about his health to NBC News in the weeks following his stroke. However, their voices diminished after he started campaigning again and it became clear that he would be difficult to unseat.
Several Democratic officials told NBC News last month that after seeing Fetterman up close, they were unconcerned with his abilities. Democrats, meanwhile, have questioned voters in focus groups about their opinions on Fetterman’s health, suggesting that at least some people are worried about the possible political repercussions of his stroke.
The campaign schedule for Fetterman has gradually increased, and his team has made available videos of him giving speeches at rallies. They have however reduced his exposure to challenging inquiries from voters and the media.
Oz blasted Fetterman for consenting to have one debate and said that his opponent was keeping voters in the dark while recovering from a stroke. Despite disagreements between the two campaigns on the format of the debate on October 25, Fetterman swore to take part.
Fetterman responded, “Well, sure, of course, I’m going to show there on the 25th.”
