Fetterman is well enough to serve, his doctor says

Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman “is recovering well from his stroke and his health has continued to improve,” according to a letter from Fetterman’s primary care doctor released by his campaign Wednesday.

Fetterman “has no work restrictions and can work full duty in public office,” Dr. Clifford Chen wrote in the medical report. Fetterman’s opponent, GOP nominee Mehmet Oz, has repeatedly suggested Fetterman’s recovery leaves him unfit to serve.

Fetterman’s health has sparked contentious debate after the candidate suffered a stroke in May, leaving him with lingering auditory processing issues. As a result, Fetterman requested to use a closed-caption monitor in his single debate with Oz on Oct. 25.

Those issues are improving, Fetterman’s doctor said in the letter, though not yet fully resolved.

At his appointment Friday, Fetterman "spoke intelligently without cognitive deficits. His speech was normal and he continues to exhibit symptoms of an auditory processing disorder which can come across as hearing difficulty,” Chen wrote. “Occasional words he will ‘miss’ which seems like he doesn’t hear the word but it is actually not processed properly. His hearing of sound such as music is not affected.”

Overall, Fetterman’s communication is “significantly improved,” thanks to speech therapy sessions he has regularly attended since the stroke, Chen said in the note.

In an interview with NBC News earlier this month, Fetterman acknowledged the stroke “changes everything,” about his life, but affirmed that it would not impact his ability to serve in the Senate.

“I feel like I’m gonna get better and better, every day,” Fetterman said in the interview. “And by January, I’m going to be, you know, much better. And Dr. Oz is still going to be a fraud.”