US Flags Fall as Fetterman Kicks Off Campaign Speech

A sudden gust of wind knocked over the U.S. flags behind Senate candidate John Fetterman, as he was speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania on Nov. 5. Screenshot via NTD

U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman, a Democrat, had an odd start for a Saturday rally in Pennsylvania when a sudden gust of wind blew down the row of American flags behind him during his opening remarks.

As soon as the lieutenant governor took to the stage in Pittsburgh on Saturday morning, he downplayed the appearance of his Republican opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and former President Donald Trump, who would later rally with supporters in Latrobe the same day.

“Today, Dr. Oz is gonna be standing with Donald Trump on the stage, and I’m going to be proud to be standing with a president that is 100 percent sedition-free,” said Fetterman, referring to his guest speaker, former President Barack Obama.

No sooner had he finished saying that, than a strong gust of wind toppled at least five U.S. flags lined up behind the stage. It is unclear if Fetterman noticed the oddly timed weather incident.

Staff soon restored the flags, but the video clip went viral on social media as responses varied by partisan divisions. Many took to Twitter to taunt him over the incident, while others deemed it an omen about Democrats’ fading prospects for Tuesday’s elections.

“The perfect metaphor for Fetterman’s campaign,” Donald Trump, Jr. wrote via Twitter.

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel called it a “perfect metaphor for Democrats’ control of Congress.” A clip shared by the committee has been viewed more than 3 million times.

The attention on Pennsylvania underscores the stakes in 2022 and beyond for the tightly contested state. As both Oz and Fetterman are vying to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, the race could decide the Senate majority and with it whether the Biden administration can carry out its agenda and judicial appointments for the next two years.

Fetterman last summer held a double-digit lead over his rival in multiple polls, but the race has dramatically tightened in recent months, especially after the only scheduled debate between the candidates last month. Fetterman has struggled to speak in complete sentences, stumbled over his words, and delivered responses punctuated by prolonged pauses in interviews after suffering a stroke in May. During the debate, he had to use a teleprompter to read the words being said to him by his opponent and the moderators to aid his comprehension.

In a recent poll of likely voters conducted by The Hill and Emerson College Polling, Oz lead Fetterman, 48 percent to 46 percent. A New York Times/Sienna poll released on Nov. 1 showed Oz and Fetterman tied at 47 percent.

“Of those who say they have heard, seen, or read a lot about the debate, Oz leads Fetterman 55 percent to 41 percent,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College polling, told The Hill.

Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks at a campaign rally Bucks County, Pa. on Nov. 1, 2022. William Huang/The Epoch Times

Fetterman showed little trouble speaking on Saturday, and some praised his lack of response to the incident. “Gale force winds wipe out flags, yet strong Democratic candidate doesn’t even flinch,” someone wrote on Twitter, praising the candidate as “strength personified.”

Fetterman’s campaign team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The key swing state saw a clash of titans on Saturday as the biggest stars of the left and right worked to energize voters in the last days of voting in the midterm elections.

Following the morning rally, Obama also teamed up with his former No. 2, President Joe Biden, in Philadelphia for a final stand before the Nov. 8 elections. The former president has been on a tour of key states to campaign for Democrat candidates in close races amid tough political headwinds for the party.