Fetterman Releases New Ad to Head Off Health Concerns

John Fetterman, the Democratic Senate candidate for Pennsylvania, has released a new video as he seeks to head off renewed concern about his health before next month's crunch election.

In May Fetterman, who has served as lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania since 2019, was hospitalized after suffering a stroke in May.

In a statement Fetterman said: "I had a stroke that was caused by a clot from my heart being in an A-fib rhythm for too long.

"The good news is I'm feeling much better, and the doctors tell me I didn't suffer any cognitive damage."

On Tuesday NBC News broadcast an interview with Fetterman, during which he used "closed-captioning technology" to read questions as they were being asked out loud by the presenter.

However, NBC reporter Dasha Burns said: "In small talk before the interview without captioning, it wasn't clear he was understanding our conversation."

Radio host and writer Mark Davis described the performance as "completely disqualifying" for Fetterman on Twitter.

He added: "We should all pray for his complete recovery, but the notion of electing a US Senator who cannot process words is simply unsustainable."

Fetterman discussed his health and campaign in a new election ad that began broadcasting on Saturday.

He said: "After my stroke, I was just grateful to see Gisele and our kids. Across Pennsylvania, I keep seeing families that don't have enough time to focus on each other. They're struggling, left behind.

"We've got to make it easier for people to spend time with those they love. Politicians spend so much time fighting about the things that don't matter. I'll always be focused on what does; access to health care, lower costs, good jobs, more time with those we love."

Explaining the rational behind the ad Brendan McPhillips, Fetterman's campaign chief, said: "We actually want voters to get to know our candidate.

"We wanted voters to see who John is, what he stands for, and how personal this fight for families is to him."

Fetterman is in a tight battle against Trump backed Republican Mehmet Oz, better known as Dr Oz.

In August Rachel Tripp, a senior communications advisor to Oz, appeared to mock Fetterman's health telling Insider if the Democratic candidate "had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn't have had a major stroke and wouldn't be in the position of having to lie about it constantly."

Oz later told NBC News' Dasha Burns that "people with disabilities can serve and they should serve," but urged greater transparency, including the release of Fetterman's medical records.

A poll conducted by Fox News between September 22 and 26 gave Fetterman a four-point lead, down from 11 points in July.

During a recent appearance on the Pod Save America podcast former President Barack Obama praised Fetterman for his authenticity.

He said: "The thing I love about Fetterman, and you see it in a lot of our other candidates, is you feel as if when you're talking to them that you're having a normal conversation and they have some sense of how the rest of America lives."