2022 Midterms: John Fetterman discusses his run for U.S. Senate, fitness to serve

PHILADELPHIA - Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman is a longtime politician running on a platform of being a different kind of Democrat. He's defending his health one week before voters head to the polls. 

The 52-year-old suffered from a stroke in May. In a televised debate with opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz, Fetterman appeared to struggle to answer some questions.

In a one-on-one interview with Good Day Philadelphia host Mike Jerrick, Fetterman addressed some of those questions about his health and pushed back against claims he is unfit to lead. 

In the opening minutes of the debate with Oz, Fetterman addressed what he called the "elephant in the room," saying, "I had a stroke. He's never let me forget that. And I might miss some words during this debate, mush two words together, but it knocked me down and I'm going to keep coming back up." 

Supporters for Oz have since published a campaign video showcasing some of the moments when Fetterman struggled to answer questions, but he says he has not seen the ads or rewatched the debate. 

Fetterman's shifting position on fracking became a key moment during the debate. Issues related to his health were put in the spotlight when he answered a question about his support for fracking.

"I support energy independence and I do fully support fracking and do fully understand it is a critical industry here in Pennsylvania," Fetterman said Tuesday. 

When asked if he understands why some have concerns about his ability to lead months after his stroke, Fetterman said he got knocked down by the medical emergency, but he plans on continuing to show up. Fetterman also says his doctors believe he is fit to serve, emphasizing that he has continued to have public speaking events where he has not used a prompter. He added that he has no challenges speaking before crowds or to the media. 

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His campaign says he does have some challenges following the stroke, but they maintain that the challenges are auditory, impacting his ability to understand speech rather than cognitive issues. 

With just only a few more days left until Election Day, Fetterman says his team will travel to different parts of Pennsylvania representing his campaign. "We're having events, whether its in Eerie, whether its in State College, whether its in Philadelphia, whether its in Pittsburgh. [We're] going out and making our argument across the state of Pennsylvania." 

When asked if all the focus on his health and fitness to serve hurts, Fetterman said he is just grateful that he's healthy enough to run and that he has his doctors' support. 

While reiterating how he is still fighting despite the stroke, Fetterman hopes the message resonates with Pennsylvania and its voters. 

"Again, I got knocked down and I get back up and that's really at the core of this campaign," he said. "To anyone in Pennsylvania that got knocked down that had to get back up, whether it's a community left behind that had to get back up, that's really at the core of why I'm running this campaign."

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Political ads from Fetterman's supporters have suggested Oz is not fit to serve as Senator of Pennsylvania because he is "not a true Pennsylvanian." Fetterman says the state needs someone who lives in Pennsylvania because they can relate to the everyday lives of the working families who live in the state. 

Another political ad targeting Fetterman referenced an incident from 2013 where he allegedly held a Black man at gunpoint while serving as the mayor of Braddock. Fetterman says it was his job as the chief law enforcement officer to protect the community and denied pointing a gun at the man. 

"Everybody in Braddock, a majority Black community, understood exactly what it was about and the voters understand that and we've all moved from all of it," Fetterman said. 

Oz is seeing a rise in support from Black voters in Philadelphia, but Fetterman says he has a record of leading a majority Black community. 

"I'm running on my record as a four-term mayor of a community that is 70% Black and everyone understands what I stand on," he said.

Fetterman has endorsements from the Philadelphia Inquirer and President Joe Biden has campaigned for him several times across Pennsylvania, while Oz has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

However, Fetterman says he has more experience when it comes to crime than his opponent, a former heart surgeon and talk show host. 

"I am the only candidate in this race that has an actual record fighting against crime and I was in charge of a police department," Fetterman says. "Dr. Oz never had any experience on fighting against gun violence in his career," he explained. 

A Fetterman victory would flip a Republican-held seat in the U.S. Senate and could affect the balance of power in Washington.