John Fetterman’s obvious cognitive issues following his massive stroke have become a top issue in the run for Pennsylvania’s open US Senate seat. Mehmet Oz has been hammering the Democrat to be more transparent about his condition, including releasing actual medical records.
That has come in response to many examples of Fetterman struggling to process what he’s saying and what he’s hearing. But instead of offering voters real information, after months of dodging the issue, Fetterman decided to release a letter from his primary care physician. To put it lightly, there are some big problems with it.
For starters, contrary to the drooling press corps, the letter is not a medical record.
Primary care physicians do not have the expertise to test and diagnose those with cognitive decline due to a stroke. Fetterman has steadfastly refused to deliver real information about his condition and is now trying to gaslight the public with a generic claim that he’s just great from a doctor who isn’t even qualified to make that determination.
It gets much better, though. Would you be surprised if I told you this doctor is actually a donor to Fetterman’s campaign and a big-time Democrat booster? Because that’s exactly what he is per The Washington Free Beacon.
In a letter released by Fetterman’s team, Dr. Clifford Chen said Fetterman has “significantly improved” following his stroke and “can work full duty in public office.” The campaign released the letter–which it called a “medical report”–following calls from media outlets for the Pennsylvania Democrat’s health records.
Chen’s political leanings could raise questions about his medical assessment of Fetterman, whose race against Republican Mehmet Oz could determine which party controls the Senate. According to campaign finance records, Chen has given tens of thousands of dollars over the years to Democratic candidates and party committees. He contributed $1,330 to Fetterman’s campaign, including a $500 donation in June 2021, before he became Fetterman’s doctor. Chen donated to other Senate candidates running in close races this cycle, including Rep. Val Demings (D., Fla.) and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D., Ga.).
“This isn’t about politics,” Fetterman campaign spokesman Joe Calvello told the Washington Free Beacon. “It’s an independent, detailed medical report written by John’s primary care doctor based on his latest office visit from last week.”
The doctor in question has given Fetterman $1,330 over the last two years, and he’s also been a donor to out-of-state Democrats like Val Demmings and Raphael Warnock. That’s interesting, isn’t it? It’s almost like this doctor could have a vested interest in pronouncing Fetterman ready for duty when he’s not really.
And really, it’s this claim by the doctor that gives the game away.
“He spoke intelligently without cognitive deficits. His speech was normal and he continues to exhibit symptoms of an auditory processing disorder which can come across as hearing difficulty…His communication is significantly improved”
Anyone who has actually observed Fetterman in public over the last few months knows that’s an outright lie. It’s one thing to claim that the Democrat has auditory processing issues that don’t allow him to speak properly. It’s an entirely different level of gaslighting to suggest that he is able to speak intelligently “without cognitive deficits.” For proof of the falsity of that statement, feel free to click here, here, and here. Are we supposed to believe this leftwing doctor just saw a different Fetterman than we have all seen?
For their part, Oz’s campaign delivered the perfect response to this absurdity.
That’s correct. If Fetterman is really just grand and has zero cognitive issues, then there are zero excuses for him to not do a full 90-minute debate as originally planned. He can’t have it both ways. If he’s fine, then he should be expected to campaign like he’s fine. If he’s not, then he needs to actually be honest with voters about his situation.
He won’t be, though. Instead, Fetterman will continue to toe this line because the press is firmly behind him. No Republican could have gotten away with releasing that letter without mountains of mockery following. The truth is that all this does is open up more questions about the Democrat’s health, and no one should entertain voting for him until they are all answered.
