President Joe Biden on Feb. 17 praised Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) two days after the senator checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center seeking treatment for
clinical depression.
“John, Gisele—Jill and I are thinking about your family today,” the president wrote in a
tweet addressing Fetterman and his wife. “Millions of people struggle with depression every day, often in private. Getting the care you need is brave and important. We’re grateful to you for leading by example.”
Fetterman, according to a Feb. 16
statement released by his office, has experienced depression “off and on” throughout his life, with the disorder only becoming “severe” in recent weeks.
This week, following a Feb. 13 evaluation, the senator voluntarily decided to seek treatment at Walter Reed at the recommendation of Dr. Brian P. Monahan, the attending physician of the U.S. Congress.
“After examining John, the doctors at Walter Reed told us that John is getting the care he needs and will soon be back to himself,” noted Adam Jentleson, Fetterman’s chief of staff.
Fetterman’s current hospitalization marks his second in a week after the Pennsylvania Democrat was admitted to George Washington University Hospital in Washington on Feb. 8 over a bout of lightheadedness. He was
discharged from that stay on Feb. 10.
Fetterman’s health has been a matter of increasing concern for many since last May, when he suffered a near-fatal stroke while on the campaign trail.
Since then, Fetterman has demonstrated difficulties with his speech on multiple occasions, including his only debate against Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz, during which he repeatedly
stumbled over his words even while using a closed captioning system so that he could follow the moderators’ questions and Oz’s answers.
Acknowledging those difficulties during the debate, Fetterman noted: “I had a stroke. [Oz] never let me forget that and I might miss some words during this debate. It knocked me down, but I’m gonna keep coming back up.
“And this campaign is all about to me is about fighting for everyone in Pennsylvania that ever got knocked down, that needs to get back up and fighting for all forgotten communities all across Pennsylvania. That also got knocked down. That needs to keep get back,” he added.
Speculation over whether the Democrat is mentally fit for office has continued to grow in the wake of that debate, despite his team’s efforts to
downplay any concerns.
As of yet, it is unclear how long his treatment will last and the extent to which it will affect his role in the Senate.
The Epoch Times has contacted Fetterman’s office for comment.
