As questions mount about Pennsylvania 's Democrat Lt. Governor John Fetterman's fitness to serve in the U.S. Senate — both for his stated policy priorities and his health following a stroke earlier this year — The Washington Post of all publications is again undermining Fetterman's pitch to voters that he can be trusted to represent the Keystone State in the upper chamber.
WaPo's questions come in the wake of an interview Fetterman did with NBC News in which he used a captioning application on a desktop computer to understand the reporter's questions — reportedly due to issues with auditory processes caused by the stroke.
FETTERMAN: "Our doctor has already given a letter saying that I'm able to serve and to be running."
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 11, 2022
"That was six months ago."
FETTERMAN: "Being on in front of...thousands of people...that gives everybody and the voters decide if they think that it's really the issue." pic.twitter.com/FkDfuvGH3j
The reporter walked away from her conversation with Fetterman unsure that the candidate seeking to serve a six-year term in the U.S. Senate was able to understand her questions despite hearing and seeing them typed out in front of him.
Reporter on her interview with John Fetterman:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 11, 2022
"It wasn't clear that he was understanding our conversations...it certainly seemed as though he was having a hard time with those conversations." pic.twitter.com/PqSjXJsUzM
Fetterman and his campaign have, repeatedly during the general election campaign, been less than transparent about the candidate's health and prognosis from doctors following his stroke. They've only released a limited amount of information and a doctor's note that Fetterman "should" have no problem serving in the U.S. Senate. But those records are months old and Fetterman's condition has not shown signs of improvement.
The conclusion WaPo floated this week about Fetterman's condition cited "neuro-audiology experts" who "said they believe he was showing signs of a specific type of acquired communication disorder called aphasia, which is caused by damage to regions of the brain responsible for language."
The Post noted that aphasia "impacts about 2 million Americans, according to the National Aphasia Association and is common after a stroke, but can also be the result of head trauma, a brain tumor, or infections that damage the brain." Experts who spoke with the Post explained the issues with two different types of aphasia they believe Fetterman is trying to deal with:
Aphasia can affect someone’s ability to process language either visually or auditorily, said Pélagie M. Beeson, a University of Arizona speech, language and hearing sciences professor.
When people have issues with choosing the right word to say or write, this is a form of expressive aphasia. Fetterman stumbled in the interview by saying the word “empethic,” when he meant “empathetic.” (He corrected himself.) Stumbling over the word could be a sign of minor expressive aphasia, Beeson said.
When people have issues with processing sound from others, either in translating a sound into a word, or with connecting a word to its meaning, it is called receptive aphasia. It is the reason people may need closed captioning.
Still, this is The Washington Post, so they cite their experts — despite all the issues caused by aphasia they outlined — as saying the condition "does not affect intelligence, decision-making, planning or other cognitive functions in the brain" and "it can be treated and improved over time through therapy."
That's good news, because no one here is wishing Fetterman ill, and a complete recovery would be something of a medical miracle after the severity of his stroke and subsequent pacemaker surgery sidelined the candidate for the opening months of the general election campaign. But that doesn't sound like the kind of prognosis that should have someone campaigning for a statewide race for federal office for a six-year term in Congress.
The Post continues by explaining stroke victims "can expect to see the most improvement with symptoms like auditory processing within the first year after the stroke" and, after one year, "people can continue to improve, but the rate of recovery may slow down." Fetterman's stroke occurred roughly five months ago. Election day is less than one month away. The new Congress is sworn in just three months from now.
By the time election day rolls around, Fetterman will be at the six-month mark of recovery, halfway through the timeframe in which WaPo says he'll see the most recovery. Yet NBC News pointedly critiqued what was seen as Fetterman's inability to fully understand and grasp the interview he just did. If this is the halfway point of what will be the majority of Fetterman's recovery... that begs more questions about his ability to serve six years in the Senate, especially if treatment and therapy will need to be ongoing to continue recovery. Can — or should — Fetterman commit to the full schedule of a U.S. Senator while still trying to recover from his stroke?
"Is what The Washington Post is reporting the reason why John Fetterman won't release his medical records?" asked Brittany Yanick, the communications director for Fetterman's GOP opponent Mehmet Oz. "If John Fetterman has aphasia and is lying about it to the voters, it would be part of a pattern of him lying about his medical history," Yanick continued. "He lied about having atrial fibrillation, he lied about how severe his stroke was, and he lied for months about his willingness to debate — John Fetterman needs to stop lying to people once and for all."
Fetterman, when given the opportunity to come clean and disclose about any other conditions in his rocky interview with NBC News, did not necessarily dispel voters' concerns.
"To be clear, right now, are there any other symptoms or health conditions that you have not disclosed?" asked the interviewer.
"I'm sorry...no...in terms of the auditory processing?" Fetterman asked in reply, seemingly misunderstanding the question.
The NBC reporter clarified again, saying "in terms of any symptoms related to the stroke or conditions" while pointing out the fact that Fetterman "hadn't disclosed the a-fib you were diagnosed with 5 years ago," and inquired "is there anything else that is in your health record, any other conditions, or symptoms that you have no told voters about?"
Fetterman replied, "As far as I know, yeah," which is not really an answer to the question — seemingly confirming that he knows, yeah, there are conditions or symptoms he hasn't told voters about.
Again throwing Fetterman a lifeline, the reporter sought more clarification: "As far as you know, there's nothing else?"
"Yeah, I think so," came Fetterman's uncertain and concerning reply.
Fetterman, seeking a six-year term in the world's greatest deliberative body, is claiming he's fit to serve despite doubt and questions about his condition from all sides of the political spectrum, based on an outdated doctor's endorsement saying he "should" be able to serve in the Senate and a promise from Fetterman that he "thinks" he's disclosed all the health conditions with which he's currently dealing.