'Brutal.' 'Cruel': How the Internet Reacted to Fetterman Debate Horror Show

John Fetterman has come in for intense criticism after a gaffe-filled performance in Tuesday night's election debate against Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Fetterman, the Democratic Senate candidate for Pennsylvania, had a stroke in May, sparking doubts about whether he would be able to continue.

His team has insisted he is fit to stand, but social media commenters said Fetterman's advisers had exposed him to ridicule by letting the debate go ahead.

One TikTok clip, watched more than 17,000 times, was captioned: "This is brutal."

The clip shows Fetterman's response to the question of what makes him fit to run as senator. He replied, "Good night, everybody," before giving his answer.

TikTokers commenting on the clip likened Fetterman to President Joe Biden, who has a history of making gaffes in speeches that then have to be "mopped up" by the White House.

Another Fetterman video, watched almost 10,000 times on TikTok, provided a compilation of his blunders on Tuesday night.

On Twitter, commentator Piers Morgan was among those to criticize the decision to debate.

"That PA Senate Debate was painful to watch. I feel very sorry for John Fetterman that he suffered a stroke," Morgan wrote.

"But it is cruel of his team to expose him to such ridicule when he is clearly unfit to either take part in TV debates or be a fully functional senator. He should withdraw."

Andrew Feinberg, a politics reporter for The Independent, also suggested the campaign team had been at fault, tweeting: "Sorry Democrats, but Fetterman lost the race tonight.

"He's in no way able to communicate clearly or effectively, and agreeing to this debate was political malpractice in the first degree. Whoever told him to do it should be finished in electoral politics."

Some critics of GOP candidate Dr. Oz also expressed their disappointment.

"Tragically, after tonight's disastrous debate performance by John Fetterman, Dr. Oz, who is a huckster and a scumbag, is going to win that Senate race which will probably flip the Senate for the Republicans," tweeted Scott Feinberg, executive editor at The Hollywood Reporter.

Feinberg added: "I feel sorry for Fetterman and for all of us who will be stuck with the fallout."

However, some Fetterman supporters praised his bravery for participating in the debate as he recovers from his stroke.

Aaron Paul Godfrey, a Democrat and former congressional candidate in Ohio, tweeted: "You know how you know John Fetterman will stand up for Pennsylvania? Because he went on a debate stage to stand up to that grifting charlatan carpetbagger, Dr Oz, while in his 5th month of stroke recovery.

"That takes guts. Join me in helping him across the finish line."

Kina Collins, who stood in the Democratic primary for Illinois' 7th district, also tweeted her support: "I know folks who have suffered from strokes. The recovery most of the time is an uphill battle.

"John Fetterman believes in PA so much that he didn't duck this debate. He got on stage tonight and swung back on Oz and the GOP. That took incredible courage and grit."

Lourin Hubbard, a former Democratic candidate in California, tweeted that others standing for office in the midterms should receive a similar level of scrutiny.

"The fact that people are treating John Fetterman's debate performance after having a stroke with more scrutiny than the lying, illogical, incoherent ramblings of Herschel Walker in his debate is peak ableism," he wrote.

Fetterman's campaign manager, Brendan McPhillips, said more than $1 million dollars had been raised for the Democrats in the hours after the debate.

Newsweek has contacted John Fetterman's team for comment.