John Fetterman says he’s ‘100%’ fit to run after more than two months off the campaign trail
Fetterman told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette he has “no physical limits,” walks four to five miles each day, and can speak properly after recovering from his May stroke.
Democrat John Fetterman on Wednesday gave his first interview since before his May 13 stroke, telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette he’s “100%” able to run his crucial campaign for U.S. Senate and has no physical limitations.
“I would never be in this if we were not absolutely, 100% able to run fully and to win — and we believe that we are,” Fetterman, the Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, told the news outlet in a 20-minute video call.
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Fetterman, 52, said he has “no physical limits,” walks four to five miles each day, can speak properly, and hasn’t lost any memory. In June, he released a statement saying he “almost died.” But on Wednesday, he told the Post-Gazette that now, after more than two months of recovery, he has few lingering concerns. He said he struggles with hearing at times, may “miss a word,” or “slur two together,” but that it happens infrequently.
It was Fetterman’s first time taking questions from a reporter after more than two months almost entirely out of public view, and came as his Republican rival, Mehmet Oz, has kept a busy public schedule and challenged Fetterman to face the public and voters.
Control of the U.S. Senate could hinge on Pennsylvania’s race to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey — and, in turn, on Fetterman’s health and ability to campaign. Democrats see Pennsylvania as their best opportunity to gain a Senate seat in a year when political tides appear to be against them.
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With so much at stake, Fetterman told the paper he wouldn’t take a risk if he wasn’t ready to campaign, but he said his small speech issues are his only lingering problem: “That’s the absolute truth, 100%.”
After his stroke, Fetterman was given a pacemaker and defibrillator to treat cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation. The full details of his condition, including the severity of the stroke, initially took weeks to emerge, but Fetterman emphasized transparency in his interview Wednesday. His campaign told the Post-Gazette he used closed captioning during the call to ensure he didn’t miss any words.
Fetterman is scheduled to attend a series of closed-door fund-raisers, including one in Wynnewood on Thursday night as he incrementally moves back toward the campaign trail.