Fetterman Addresses Stroke Recovery, Lingering ‘Auditory Processing’ Issues
Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman spoke about his stroke recovery, including his auditory processing difficulties, during a campaign event over the weekend.
“As you know, I had a stroke,” Fetterman said in a twelve minute speech in Pittsburgh. “Oh and I’m so grateful to be here today now after surviving that better and better, you know?”
“You know, the only lingering issue that I have after that stroke is sometimes auditory processing, sometimes. And, every now and then, I might miss a word or, sometimes, you know, I might mush two words together,” he said.
Fetterman went on to make fun of his opponent, Mehmet Oz, for seemingly combining the names of two grocery chains in a campaign video where the Republican says he is shopping at “Wegner’s.”
He said Saturday: “Let me give you an example. Let’s assume I wanted to shop at Wegmans, and I am actually standing in a Redner’s, but I actually think I am shopping in Wegner’s.”
“Dr. Oz never stops reminding everybody that I had a stroke. Yeah. In fact, I’m sure there’s probably at least one person here that are filming it. Trying to have me miss some words on video. What an inspiring campaign for you. Dr. Oz,” he said.
Fetterman, who is currently Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, suffered a stroke in May. At times during the speech, Fetterman paused at length or struggled with words, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The paper suggested the speech was an “overall improvement” from the last time he spoke in Pittsburgh on September 5.
The rally came one day after Fetterman gave a confusing answer during an appearance on MSNBC.
“I just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing,” MSNBC host Chris Hayes asked Fetterman, adding that it was the first time they had spoken since the stroke.
“I’m doing fantastic. It’s not about kicking balls in the authority or anything,” Fetterman said.
Meanwhile, at the Saturday rally, Fetterman also attempted to defend his record on crime, saying during his time as the mayor of Braddock, Pa., the borough saw no gun deaths for more than five of his 12 years as mayor.
“We fought to make Braddock a safer community, and I did that,” he said.
Yet FBI data reveal the average violent crime rate during Fetterman’s time as mayor was 4.4 annual incidents per 1,000 residents — higher than the average violent crime rate in Pennsylvania for the same time period, which was about 3.6 annually per 1,000 people.
A RealClearPolitics polling average shows Fetterman leading Oz 48.2 percent to 44.1 percent.
