Fetterman Comes to Biden's Defense

Leah Barkoukis | June 28, 2024 3:30 PM

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) came to President Biden’s defense after his disastrous debate performance on Thursday.

“I refuse to join the Democratic vultures on Biden’s shoulder after the debate. No one knows more than me that a rough debate is not the sum total of the person and their record,” said Fetterman, who also had a terrible debate performance against his GOP opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz ahead of the 2022 election.

The Pennsylvania Democrat made the comments as he shared a Politico headline that read, “Panicked Dems start looking for alternatives to Biden.” He reminded those on the left that many said he would lose against Oz after struggling with speech and auditory issues from his near-fatal stroke.

Here's how his debate performance was described at the time:

John Fetterman can still become the next senator from Pennsylvania, the Democrat who safeguards their fragile majority. He is effectively tied or leads in many reputable polls, and he’s been a prodigious fundraiser throughout the race. Few left-leaning Democrats, in such foreboding terrain, have engineered a coalition this formidable.
All of this must be stated outright because Fetterman’s lone televised debate performance was disastrous. In May, he suffered a stroke, and he could not speak consistently and coherently on Tuesday against his Republican opponent, Dr Mehmet Oz. While partisans online defended his speaking style and pleaded for empathy – all victims of health calamities certainly deserve it – it was inarguable that Fetterman struggled, and even sympathetic observers acknowledged a debate format was a steep challenge. Fetterman is simply not the candidate he was before his stroke. (The Guardian)