When you’ve got a story to spin in D.C., Democrats know the friendly reporters who will uncritically help you tell your tall tale. CNN’s Manu Raju fulfilled that role Tuesday with a two-tweet fairytale update on freshman Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who has been in the psych ward for the past month for treatment of clinical depression and the lingering effects of his debilitating stroke last year caused by a diseased heart.
Fetterman has been incommunicado at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland since February 15 when he was admitted because he was a danger to himself, not being able to feed or hydrate himself properly which led to a previous trip to a D.C. hospital the week before for lightheadedness.
Last week a handful of photos of Fetterman at Walter Reed were released by his staff and wife Gisele which show a catastrophic weight loss since he became Senator on January 3rd. But no videos of Fetterman speaking or moving have been released. Fetterman’s staff have effectively become ‘acting Senator’, sponsoring legislation, writing hearing statements and official letters in Fetterman’s name while claiming to brief him at the hospital.
John Fetterman side by side. January 3 photo by Jon Cherry/Reuters. March 6 by Fetterman Senate staff. pic.twitter.com/TMVWjOuyTm
— Kristinn Taylor (@KristinnFR) March 6, 2023
Raju wrote, “John Fetterman is making progress in his recovery from clinical depression and could leave Walter Reed within next two weeks, a person close to the senator told me. The senator’s physician recently informed him that he will be “as good or better than his best days post-stroke…Fetterman’s stay has lasted this long because the doctors have been trying to get his “medication balance exactly right,” per source. For instance, doctors learned his blood pressure med was too high, which may have contributed to dizziness when he went to GW hospital last month.”
Fetterman's stay has lasted this long because the doctors have been trying to get his "medication balance exactly right," per source. For instance, doctors learned his blood pressure med was too high, which may have contributed to dizziness when he went to GW hospital last month
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 14, 2023
Last October, Fetterman’s doctor and campaign donor Clifford Chen wrote a public letter giving assurance that he could “work full duty in public office.
NEW: Fetterman releases updated medical report from his doctor on his stroke recovery. Letter says he "is recovering well" and "his health has continued to improve"
Adds "his communication is significantly improved compared to his first visit" pic.twitter.com/9nb295KI0y
— Ursula Perano (@UrsulaPerano) October 19, 2022
Six weeks after taking office Fetterman was so far gone he was put in a psych ward where he remains incommunicado to this day.
