The first and only debate between Pennsylvania’s senatorial candidates, Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, drew widespread reactions online Tuesday evening, zeroing largely on Oz’s responses to matters of abortion and, sadly, the apparent effects of Fetterman’s stroke from May.
“John Fetterman’s ability to communicate is seriously impaired. Pennsylvania voters will be talking about this obvious fact even if many in the media will not,” “Morning Joe” co-host Joe Scarborough, who typically lambasts Oz and shows admiration for Fetterman, tweeted Tuesday. “This is painful to watch regardless of one’s politics.”
Fetterman’s responses did indeed feature some missed words, fumbled phrasing and delayed reactions – all of which he said was going to be the case at the top of the debate, addressing the “elephant in the room” while maintaining that his doctors have only said that he’s fit to serve.
Throughout the debate, Fetterman’s sight line was equipped with two monitors behind the moderators, one showing the questions and the other showing Oz’s answers so he could read them and respond. It’s been previously reported that Fetterman’s stroke has left him with some difficulty for processing verbal communication.
Scarborough again brought up Fetterman’s health on Wednesday morning’s “Morning Joe,” saying Oz “made some statements that I know caused great concerns to people in Pennsylvania,” but that it’s “Fetterman who’s struggling.”
“He’s struggling with the effects of his stroke that he suffered in May,” Scarborough said. “And I said that it’s very obvious that he is impaired, that his ability to communicate is impaired. And the question is, you now, Pennsylvania voters have a couple of choices.”
Later in the segment, before showing a number of examples of Fetterman’s performance during the debate, Scarborough recalled the response that NBC’s Dasha Burns got earlier this month “with people on the left, even some mainstream voices, saying that he had trouble with small talk.”
“Well, it was very obvious last night,” he said. “Of course, he underwent a major stroke, and so, again, the question, Willie, is, not whether he is going to be able to serve. The question is, how impaired is he? And that’s something that the voters of Pennsylvania are going to be sorting through, even if people on the left want to pretend it doesn’t exist. It does exist, but does it mean he can’t serve as senator? That’s just up to the voters of Pennsylvania.
Co-host Willie Geist agreed.
“Exactly, it’s not up to us talking on TV, it’s not up to people writing on Twitter. It’s up to people who go into those booths less than two weeks from now.”
Watch the full “Morning Joe” segment in the video above.
