John Fetterman Mocks 'Fringy Fringies' on Body Double Conspiracy

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has addressed the right-wing conspiracy theories that he had been replaced by a "body double" after he was hospitalized for depression.

The video address, posted to the freshman Democratic lawmaker's Twitter account Tuesday, mocked the "fringy fringies" who started the rumor after a cropped photo of him smiling circulated on social media last month.

"Hey everybody, it's me, Senator John Fetterman, and I just want you to know that I'm back and I'm feeling great, 100%," Fetterman said in the clip.

"And you know, during my time during the hospital, the fringy fringies really came up with a conspiracy that I have a body double. And I just want you to know that is just crazy," he added.

Fetterman also poked fun at the theories by posing in a separate outfit toward the end of the video, pretending to be the supposed "body double." The 30-second-clip was accompanied by the song Just the Two of Us by Bill Withers.

As Newsweek previously reported, the photo of Fetterman that made some conspiracy theorists question if the senator had been replaced due to health concerns was a picture taken of him in May 2022, when he was released from the hospital following a stroke.

Fetterman checked himself into the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on February 15, 2023, for clinical depression and was released March 31, 2023, following successful treatment. The former Pennsylvania lieutenant governor found himself in the national spotlight in the fall after defeating Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz in his state's closely contested Senate race, despite questions about the senator's health after his stroke in the months leading up to November's midterm election.

Walter Reed neuropsychiatry director Dr. David Williamson said in a press release following Fetterman's treatment that the senator had been suffering with "severe symptoms of depression" when he was first admitted, which caused the senator to stop eating and drinking fluids.

"Over the subsequent weeks, Fetterman's mood steadily improved," Williamson added. "Sleep was restored, he ate well and hydrated, and he evidenced better mood, brighter affect and improved motivation, self-attitude, and engagement with others. His treatment gradually produced remission of his depression."

Fetterman was also fitted for hearing aids and worked with a speech specialist during the treatment, which delivered a "noticeable" improvement in his speaking abilities. Following his stroke, Fetterman often used a closed-captioning device to help him process conversations during campaign events and interviews.

The Democratic lawmaker was seen returning to the U.S. Capitol on Monday when the Senate resumed session. Fetterman told a group of reporters waiting for his arrival that it was "great to be back."

Newsweek has reached out to Fetterman's communications team via email for comment.

Update 4/18/2023, 8:35 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and background.