Two more photos, but still no video, of hospitalized Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) were released Friday. The photos show Fetterman with wife Gisele and the couple’s three children as well as ‘get well’ notes from the kids. On Thursday, Fetterman’s staff released a statement for a Senate hearing claiming the stroke-damaged Fetterman, who has been incommunicado since he went to the psych ward at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on February 15 for severe clinical depression, is “working with my colleagues” on the East Palestine toxic train wreck.
Gisele, who took the kids to Canada when John was hospitalized last month and is now playing firefighter back home, paid her ‘once a week‘ visit and posted a message along with the photos, “We can do hard things when we do them together ❤️ so proud of João, the kids, and everyone who’s shared their own struggles with us in the past few weeks. It gets better.”
We can do hard things when we do them together ❤️ so proud of João, the kids, and everyone who’s shared their own struggles with us in the past few weeks. It gets better. pic.twitter.com/LqZW9LojDH
— Gisele Barreto Fetterman (@giselefetterman) March 10, 2023
The day before, instead of visiting her husband Gisele was saving tomatoes.
https://twitter.com/giselefetterman/status/1633843511090110474
On Thursday, Fetterman’s staff released a two-page committee statement in Fetterman’s name that claimed he is “working with my colleagues.”
Senator Fetterman issued the following statement to be read at today's @EPWCmte hearing on the Norfolk Southern derailment.
Full statement: https://t.co/nk38N2BCz9 pic.twitter.com/gUVDX11fvr
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) March 9, 2023
No one outside of Fetterman’s staff and his family have said they have met or communicated with Fetterman since he was admitted to the psych ward at Walter Reed nearly a month ago.
The New York Times published an article on Fetterman Thursday that makes clear he is a puppet of his staff and not really needed to run his office. The article even claimed that staff makes decisions for Fetterman on sponsoring legislation without getting his permission beforehand.
Excerpts from the Fetterman “Statement for the Record” for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on “Protecting Public Health and the Environment in the Wake of the Norfolk Southern Train Derailment and Chemical Release in East Palestine, Ohio”:
I’m working with my colleagues across both state and party lines to fight for the forgotten people of Pennsylvania and Ohio, hold Norfolk Southern responsible for the damage they’ve caused, and prevent similar disasters from happening in the future. I would specifically like to thank my colleagues from Ohio, Senator Sherrod Brown and Senator J.D. Vance, for being great partners with Senator Bob Casey and myself throughout this process.
…My hope is that we answer this disaster caused by egregious negligence from Norfolk Southern with real policy solutions that will hold Norfolk Southern and similar companies accountable while making American families safer in the future. I believe that the legislation introduced last week is a great first step. I look forward to getting some answers today and continuing to work with my colleagues to get Pennsylvanians and Ohioans alike the resources they need.”
Earlier in the week Fetterman’s chief of staff Adam Jentleson posted photos of him meeting with Fetterman at Walter Reed to discuss Senate business. No video was released. Observers noted Fetterman was not wearing his reading glasses nor was he using the device that transcribes speech for him; both of which are seen in the photo below.
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Rebecca Katz, the former Fetterman campaign staffer who posted video of glammed up firefighter Gisele this week…
https://twitter.com/RebeccaKKatz/status/1633238121386217472
…was so triggered by the responses that she made a video of the comments. Katz also had a few comments of her own.
“The other day, I tweeted about @giselefetterman. Pretty innocuous: local news footage from a 3-alarm fire she responded to.But the vitriol towards her in my mentions right now is completely unhinged. And it’s just a fraction of what she gets, nonstop, every day…I tweet about politics all the time. But the obsession with Gisele is beyond creepy. Why is she so hated? Because she runs a free store? Because she’s a firefighter? Because of the way she looks?…All this woman has ever done is love people. Why is the right so triggered by a woman who exudes nothing but positivity? They’re telling on themselves.”
The other day, I tweeted about @giselefetterman. Pretty innocuous: local news footage from a 3-alarm fire she responded to.
But the vitriol towards her in my mentions right now is completely unhinged. And it’s just a fraction of what she gets, nonstop, every day. pic.twitter.com/mkq66cqHPl
— Rebecca Katz (@RebeccaKKatz) March 9, 2023
All this woman has ever done is love people.
Why is the right so triggered by a woman who exudes nothing but positivity? They’re telling on themselves.
— Rebecca Katz (@RebeccaKKatz) March 9, 2023
Sean Logue, chairman of the Washington County Republican Committee, renewed his call for a ‘proof of health’ video, Penn Live reported Thursday (excerpt):
Logue, though, said he does not believe anything that Fetterman’s office releases. He questioned Jentelson’s photos, saying that the colors of the rooms are suspicious, as is the lack of closed captioning equipment to help Fetterman, who has suffered from auditory processing issues from his stroke, understand in-person conversations.
“If he can take staged photos, why can’t they release a 30-second video?” Logue asked.
On Thursday, Logue, a criminal defense attorney, also responded to criticism that his statement attacks those with mental health issues by saying he is sympathetic to those struggling and that this is not about mental health but leadership for the state and country.
“All I’ve done is ask a question, Senator, can you go on video and tell me that you’re capable of serving?” Logue said. “Asking a question does not make me a bad guy.”
Two days after his May 13, 2022 stroke, John and Gisele posted a video from the hospital.
On Friday, I wasn’t feeling well, so I went to the hospital to get checked out.
I didn’t want to go – I didn’t think I had to – but @giselefetterman insisted, and as usual, she was right.
The good news is I’m feeling much better + I’m well on my way to a full recovery. pic.twitter.com/WQ5X6QgQen
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) May 15, 2022
They flat-out lied about John’s condition then, and it is clear they and Fetterman’s staff are still lying and covering-up.
