The Fetterman Campaign Says Stroke Recovery Factors Into The Fall Debate Plans

Comment Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman’s Senate campaign said Wednesday that his recovery from a stroke, which has complicated his ability to engage in verbal conversation, could affect his plans for debates with Republican candidate Mehmet Oz in one of the highest-stakes games of this fall. “We’re working to figure out what a fair debate would look like with the lingering effects of audio processing in mind,” said Fetterman campaign strategist Rebecca Katz. “To be absolutely clear, the occasional problems he has with audio processing have nothing to do with his ability to do the job as a senator. Giannis is healthy and fully capable of showing up and doing the job.” Counselors say Fetterman can participate in one-on-one conversations but struggles with more chaotic auditory environments, a condition common to stroke survivors that doctors say can improve over time. Fetterman, who returned to the campaign trail on August 12, has yet to agree to any debate despite assurances from advisers that he plans to meet Oz, a celebrity cardiologist, on stage. He announced Tuesday that he would not attend a proposed Sept. 6 debate after Oz’s campaign released a statement that, Fetterman said, showed “they think it’s funny to make fun of a stroke survivor.” Oz’s campaign, which is pushing for five debates, including two next week, promised in a sarcastic statement Tuesday to “pay for any additional medical personnel” Fetterman may need at the debates, allow Fetterman to use notes or a headset and allow Fetterman to take bathroom breaks as needed. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which backs Oz, doubled down on the line of attack Wednesday, calling Fetterman “a coward who is ‘too weak and feeble’ to debate.” “If you’re too unhealthy to debate, you’re too unhealthy to serve in the US Senate where it can be 10 times more intense,” the NRSC’s unsigned statement said. The rising tensions highlight an extraordinary dynamic in a race seen as central to deciding which party controls the Senate next year. Republicans are trying to make Fetterman’s health and his campaign explanation a liability this fall after Fetterman suffered a stroke in mid-May and only later revealed a more complete picture of his medical history. Fetterman and his allies, seeking to show he can serve in a demanding job despite facing a tough recovery, have engaged in the fight just as aggressively, calling the sides shameful attacks from a struggling rival. Since returning to in-person events, Fetterman’s speeches have been limited to about 10 minutes and sometimes stop. For the most part, he has avoided public interactions with reporters and voters, other than working the ropes. He has done two one-on-one interviews via Zoom with local news outlets, which were conducted with real-time subtitles to avoid gaps in the conversation. In both interviews, he revealed his ongoing struggles with both hearing and speaking. “I’ll miss a word, or I might put two words together at some point in a conversation. But that’s really the only issue and it’s getting better and better,” Fetterman told KDKA in Pittsburgh. Fetterman’s campaign announced he would have his first nationally televised interview since his stroke on MSNBC Wednesday night. Oz and Republicans have accused Fetterman of not being able to handle reporters’ questions. Democrats and Fetterman’s campaign have said they see the Republican attacks on him as a sign of desperation that could backfire on Oz, who trailed Fetterman in early polls. A series of Democratic focus groups in August found little concern among voters about Fetterman’s health, with substantial sympathy for his continued recovery, according to a pollster who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private survey. At the caucuses, Democrats showed swing voters videos of Fetterman speaking before and after the stroke to check for concerns. Voters responded by saying they know people who have had a stroke and “it takes time” and expressed confidence that it will continue to improve, the pollster said. Fetterman’s campaign responded to Oz on Wednesday with a video clip from a weekend campaign appearance in which he admired Oz’s campaign approach. “Can you even imagine if you had a doctor who mocked your illness or mocked it?” said Fetterman in Mercer County, a rural part of the state. “This is where we are right now. I’d like to think that Dr. Oz might have really lost his way if you were going to make fun of someone who had a stroke.” Oz avoided getting involved in the attacks himself and on Tuesday distanced himself from his own campaign mocking Fetterman for not eating enough vegetables before his stroke. “I can only speak to what I say,” Oz said in a radio interview. The new attacks come as Fetterman continues to recover from a life-threatening clot that temporarily cut off blood flow to his brain. His campaign waited nearly two days after the stroke before telling the public he was in the hospital, then revealed weeks later that Fetterman had been diagnosed in 2017 with cardiomyopathy, a separate condition that reduces the amount of blood his heart could pump. After the stroke, he had a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted to treat cardiomyopathy, and Fetterman released a public statement pledging to take the medication he had stopped taking after his 2017 diagnosis. Fetterman’s aides say he has been fully engaged in his campaign and regularly walks several miles a day. After Oz distanced himself from his campaign statements, Fetterman personally drafted a meme that circulated on Twitter that used images of the musician Drake to mock those who disapprove of “making fun of strokes” but approve of “others making fun of strokes.” to a person who knows the facts. Dr. Joseph Schindler, clinical director of the Yale New Haven Comprehensive Stroke Center, said that without good clinical examination and brain MRI, it is difficult to know what kind of damage any stroke survivor has. But he said the inability to filter out external stimuli, including ambient noise, is a common complaint of people who have suffered strokes. It can improve over time, but it doesn’t always, he said. Schindler offered as an example a person sitting on a bench. When first sitting, the person feels the bench, but over time the brain filters out this stimulus as it focuses on other things. But after a stroke, a person may not be able to do that or ignore a nearby conversation or background music, Schindler said. “My experience is that it’s very variable, and recovery often depends on the injury to the brain and the location of that injury,” Schindler said. The campaign scene between Fetterman and Oz worsened throughout the summer, with Fetterman mocking Oz as an unknown celebrity “in Gucci loafers” who lives in New Jersey for a long time and owns several properties around the world. Oz responded by calling Fetterman a liberal hiding in his basement. “The Fetterman campaign completely insults the intelligence of Pennsylvania voters,” Oz consultant Barney Keller said Wednesday. “It can only be for one of two reasons: He’s lying about his ability to negotiate, or he’s lying about his willingness to negotiate. He can’t have both at the same time.” Despite Oz’s own hesitations about attacking Fetterman, the Republican campaign has shown no remorse for its aggressive attacks on Fetterman’s health. “Our staff told him to eat his vegetables, and his staff employs two convicted murderers,” said one Oz consultant, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the approach more openly. “We’ll leave it up to Pennsylvania to decide.” Fetterman, who had championed criminal justice reforms, including the legalization of recreational marijuana, employs Dennis and Lee Horton, brothers who spent 30 years in prison for a robbery and murder they say they did not commit. They were recommended for clemency by the state Zoning Board in 2020 and later released from life sentences, with the support of both Fetterman and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is a Democratic gubernatorial candidate this year. Fetterman called their release “the highlight of my career”. “These brothers will not die in prison for a crime they did not commit,” he tweeted in October. Senator Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) spent several hours Saturday with Fetterman at Demstock, an annual festival gathering for rural Democrats. Casey said there were no problems with Fetterman’s ability to hear and respond during their interactions in a cavernous room, although his recovery was still evident. “He sounded really good and really strong,” Casey said. “It’s not there yet, it needs time. I think most people understand that.” Democrats in the state aren’t “worried at all,” Casey said. “Obviously he’s had a long way between the stroke right before the qualifiers and where he is today, and he’s made remarkable progress in a relatively short amount of time.” TJ Rooney, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party, hosted a virtual fundraiser for Fetterman a few weeks ago, where the candidate spoke, followed by a Q&A with questions submitted in advance and read by the same donor on the call. “His speech was definitely stilted, but he totally listened and understood the questions,” Rooney said. “His answers were garbled, some words were slurred, but he clearly knew what was being asked of him.”

title: “The Fetterman Campaign Says Stroke Recovery Factors Into The Fall Debate Plans Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-05” author: “Nichole Griffen”

Comment Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman’s Senate campaign said Wednesday that his recovery from a stroke, which has complicated his ability to engage in verbal conversation, could affect his plans for debates with Republican candidate Mehmet Oz in one of the highest-stakes games of this fall. “We’re working to figure out what a fair debate would look like with the lingering effects of audio processing in mind,” said Fetterman campaign strategist Rebecca Katz. “To be absolutely clear, the occasional problems he has with audio processing have nothing to do with his ability to do the job as a senator. Giannis is healthy and fully capable of showing up and doing the job.” Counselors say Fetterman can participate in one-on-one conversations but struggles with more chaotic auditory environments, a condition common to stroke survivors that doctors say can improve over time. Fetterman, who returned to the campaign trail on August 12, has yet to agree to any debate despite assurances from advisers that he plans to meet Oz, a celebrity cardiologist, on stage. He announced Tuesday that he would not attend a proposed Sept. 6 debate after Oz’s campaign released a statement that, Fetterman said, showed “they think it’s funny to make fun of a stroke survivor.” Oz’s campaign, which is pushing for five debates, including two next week, promised in a sarcastic statement Tuesday to “pay for any additional medical personnel” Fetterman may need at the debates, allow Fetterman to use notes or a headset and allow Fetterman to take bathroom breaks as needed. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which backs Oz, doubled down on the line of attack Wednesday, calling Fetterman “a coward who is ‘too weak and feeble’ to debate.” “If you’re too unhealthy to debate, you’re too unhealthy to serve in the US Senate where it can be 10 times more intense,” the NRSC’s unsigned statement said. The rising tensions highlight an extraordinary dynamic in a race seen as central to deciding which party controls the Senate next year. Republicans are trying to make Fetterman’s health and his campaign explanation a liability this fall after Fetterman suffered a stroke in mid-May and only later revealed a more complete picture of his medical history. Fetterman and his allies, seeking to show he can serve in a demanding job despite facing a tough recovery, have engaged in the fight just as aggressively, calling the sides shameful attacks from a struggling rival. Since returning to in-person events, Fetterman’s speeches have been limited to about 10 minutes and sometimes stop. For the most part, he has avoided public interactions with reporters and voters, other than working the ropes. He has done two one-on-one interviews via Zoom with local news outlets, which were conducted with real-time subtitles to avoid gaps in the conversation. In both interviews, he revealed his ongoing struggles with both hearing and speaking. “I’ll miss a word, or I might put two words together at some point in a conversation. But that’s really the only issue and it’s getting better and better,” Fetterman told KDKA in Pittsburgh. Fetterman’s campaign announced he would have his first nationally televised interview since his stroke on MSNBC Wednesday night. Oz and Republicans have accused Fetterman of not being able to handle reporters’ questions. Democrats and Fetterman’s campaign have said they see the Republican attacks on him as a sign of desperation that could backfire on Oz, who trailed Fetterman in early polls. A series of Democratic focus groups in August found little concern among voters about Fetterman’s health, with substantial sympathy for his continued recovery, according to a pollster who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private survey. At the caucuses, Democrats showed swing voters videos of Fetterman speaking before and after the stroke to check for concerns. Voters responded by saying they know people who have had a stroke and “it takes time” and expressed confidence that it will continue to improve, the pollster said. Fetterman’s campaign responded to Oz on Wednesday with a video clip from a weekend campaign appearance in which he admired Oz’s campaign approach. “Can you even imagine if you had a doctor who mocked your illness or mocked it?” said Fetterman in Mercer County, a rural part of the state. “This is where we are right now. I’d like to think that Dr. Oz might have really lost his way if you were going to make fun of someone who had a stroke.” Oz avoided getting involved in the attacks himself and on Tuesday distanced himself from his own campaign mocking Fetterman for not eating enough vegetables before his stroke. “I can only speak to what I say,” Oz said in a radio interview. The new attacks come as Fetterman continues to recover from a life-threatening clot that temporarily cut off blood flow to his brain. His campaign waited nearly two days after the stroke before telling the public he was in the hospital, then revealed weeks later that Fetterman had been diagnosed in 2017 with cardiomyopathy, a separate condition that reduces the amount of blood his heart could pump. After the stroke, he had a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted to treat cardiomyopathy, and Fetterman released a public statement pledging to take the medication he had stopped taking after his 2017 diagnosis. Fetterman’s aides say he has been fully engaged in his campaign and regularly walks several miles a day. After Oz distanced himself from his campaign statements, Fetterman personally drafted a meme that circulated on Twitter that used images of the musician Drake to mock those who disapprove of “making fun of strokes” but approve of “others making fun of strokes.” to a person who knows the facts. Dr. Joseph Schindler, clinical director of the Yale New Haven Comprehensive Stroke Center, said that without good clinical examination and brain MRI, it is difficult to know what kind of damage any stroke survivor has. But he said the inability to filter out external stimuli, including ambient noise, is a common complaint of people who have suffered strokes. It can improve over time, but it doesn’t always, he said. Schindler offered as an example a person sitting on a bench. When first sitting, the person feels the bench, but over time the brain filters out this stimulus as it focuses on other things. But after a stroke, a person may not be able to do that or ignore a nearby conversation or background music, Schindler said. “My experience is that it’s very variable, and recovery often depends on the injury to the brain and the location of that injury,” Schindler said. The campaign scene between Fetterman and Oz worsened throughout the summer, with Fetterman mocking Oz as an unknown celebrity “in Gucci loafers” who lives in New Jersey for a long time and owns several properties around the world. Oz responded by calling Fetterman a liberal hiding in his basement. “The Fetterman campaign completely insults the intelligence of Pennsylvania voters,” Oz consultant Barney Keller said Wednesday. “It can only be for one of two reasons: He’s lying about his ability to negotiate, or he’s lying about his willingness to negotiate. He can’t have both at the same time.” Despite Oz’s own hesitations about attacking Fetterman, the Republican campaign has shown no remorse for its aggressive attacks on Fetterman’s health. “Our staff told him to eat his vegetables, and his staff employs two convicted murderers,” said one Oz consultant, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the approach more openly. “We’ll leave it up to Pennsylvania to decide.” Fetterman, who had championed criminal justice reforms, including the legalization of recreational marijuana, employs Dennis and Lee Horton, brothers who spent 30 years in prison for a robbery and murder they say they did not commit. They were recommended for clemency by the state Zoning Board in 2020 and later released from life sentences, with the support of both Fetterman and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is a Democratic gubernatorial candidate this year. Fetterman called their release “the highlight of my career”. “These brothers will not die in prison for a crime they did not commit,” he tweeted in October. Senator Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) spent several hours Saturday with Fetterman at Demstock, an annual festival gathering for rural Democrats. Casey said there were no problems with Fetterman’s ability to hear and respond during their interactions in a cavernous room, although his recovery was still evident. “He sounded really good and really strong,” Casey said. “It’s not there yet, it needs time. I think most people understand that.” Democrats in the state aren’t “worried at all,” Casey said. “Obviously he’s had a long way between the stroke right before the qualifiers and where he is today, and he’s made remarkable progress in a relatively short amount of time.” TJ Rooney, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party, hosted a virtual fundraiser for Fetterman a few weeks ago, where the candidate spoke, followed by a Q&A with questions submitted in advance and read by the same donor on the call. “His speech was definitely stilted, but he totally listened and understood the questions,” Rooney said. “His answers were garbled, some words were slurred, but he clearly knew what was being asked of him.”

title: “The Fetterman Campaign Says Stroke Recovery Factors Into The Fall Debate Plans Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-06” author: “Bonita Laidlaw”

Comment Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman’s Senate campaign said Wednesday that his recovery from a stroke, which has complicated his ability to engage in verbal conversation, could affect his plans for debates with Republican candidate Mehmet Oz in one of the highest-stakes games of this fall. “We’re working to figure out what a fair debate would look like with the lingering effects of audio processing in mind,” said Fetterman campaign strategist Rebecca Katz. “To be absolutely clear, the occasional problems he has with audio processing have nothing to do with his ability to do the job as a senator. Giannis is healthy and fully capable of showing up and doing the job.” Counselors say Fetterman can participate in one-on-one conversations but struggles with more chaotic auditory environments, a condition common to stroke survivors that doctors say can improve over time. Fetterman, who returned to the campaign trail on August 12, has yet to agree to any debate despite assurances from advisers that he plans to meet Oz, a celebrity cardiologist, on stage. He announced Tuesday that he would not attend a proposed Sept. 6 debate after Oz’s campaign released a statement that, Fetterman said, showed “they think it’s funny to make fun of a stroke survivor.” Oz’s campaign, which is pushing for five debates, including two next week, promised in a sarcastic statement Tuesday to “pay for any additional medical personnel” Fetterman may need at the debates, allow Fetterman to use notes or a headset and allow Fetterman to take bathroom breaks as needed. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which backs Oz, doubled down on the line of attack Wednesday, calling Fetterman “a coward who is ‘too weak and feeble’ to debate.” “If you’re too unhealthy to debate, you’re too unhealthy to serve in the US Senate where it can be 10 times more intense,” the NRSC’s unsigned statement said. The rising tensions highlight an extraordinary dynamic in a race seen as central to deciding which party controls the Senate next year. Republicans are trying to make Fetterman’s health and his campaign explanation a liability this fall after Fetterman suffered a stroke in mid-May and only later revealed a more complete picture of his medical history. Fetterman and his allies, seeking to show he can serve in a demanding job despite facing a tough recovery, have engaged in the fight just as aggressively, calling the sides shameful attacks from a struggling rival. Since returning to in-person events, Fetterman’s speeches have been limited to about 10 minutes and sometimes stop. For the most part, he has avoided public interactions with reporters and voters, other than working the ropes. He has done two one-on-one interviews via Zoom with local news outlets, which were conducted with real-time subtitles to avoid gaps in the conversation. In both interviews, he revealed his ongoing struggles with both hearing and speaking. “I’ll miss a word, or I might put two words together at some point in a conversation. But that’s really the only issue and it’s getting better and better,” Fetterman told KDKA in Pittsburgh. Fetterman’s campaign announced he would have his first nationally televised interview since his stroke on MSNBC Wednesday night. Oz and Republicans have accused Fetterman of not being able to handle reporters’ questions. Democrats and Fetterman’s campaign have said they see the Republican attacks on him as a sign of desperation that could backfire on Oz, who trailed Fetterman in early polls. A series of Democratic focus groups in August found little concern among voters about Fetterman’s health, with substantial sympathy for his continued recovery, according to a pollster who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private survey. At the caucuses, Democrats showed swing voters videos of Fetterman speaking before and after the stroke to check for concerns. Voters responded by saying they know people who have had a stroke and “it takes time” and expressed confidence that it will continue to improve, the pollster said. Fetterman’s campaign responded to Oz on Wednesday with a video clip from a weekend campaign appearance in which he admired Oz’s campaign approach. “Can you even imagine if you had a doctor who mocked your illness or mocked it?” said Fetterman in Mercer County, a rural part of the state. “This is where we are right now. I’d like to think that Dr. Oz might have really lost his way if you were going to make fun of someone who had a stroke.” Oz avoided getting involved in the attacks himself and on Tuesday distanced himself from his own campaign mocking Fetterman for not eating enough vegetables before his stroke. “I can only speak to what I say,” Oz said in a radio interview. The new attacks come as Fetterman continues to recover from a life-threatening clot that temporarily cut off blood flow to his brain. His campaign waited nearly two days after the stroke before telling the public he was in the hospital, then revealed weeks later that Fetterman had been diagnosed in 2017 with cardiomyopathy, a separate condition that reduces the amount of blood his heart could pump. After the stroke, he had a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted to treat cardiomyopathy, and Fetterman released a public statement pledging to take the medication he had stopped taking after his 2017 diagnosis. Fetterman’s aides say he has been fully engaged in his campaign and regularly walks several miles a day. After Oz distanced himself from his campaign statements, Fetterman personally drafted a meme that circulated on Twitter that used images of the musician Drake to mock those who disapprove of “making fun of strokes” but approve of “others making fun of strokes.” to a person who knows the facts. Dr. Joseph Schindler, clinical director of the Yale New Haven Comprehensive Stroke Center, said that without good clinical examination and brain MRI, it is difficult to know what kind of damage any stroke survivor has. But he said the inability to filter out external stimuli, including ambient noise, is a common complaint of people who have suffered strokes. It can improve over time, but it doesn’t always, he said. Schindler offered as an example a person sitting on a bench. When first sitting, the person feels the bench, but over time the brain filters out this stimulus as it focuses on other things. But after a stroke, a person may not be able to do that or ignore a nearby conversation or background music, Schindler said. “My experience is that it’s very variable, and recovery often depends on the injury to the brain and the location of that injury,” Schindler said. The campaign scene between Fetterman and Oz worsened throughout the summer, with Fetterman mocking Oz as an unknown celebrity “in Gucci loafers” who lives in New Jersey for a long time and owns several properties around the world. Oz responded by calling Fetterman a liberal hiding in his basement. “The Fetterman campaign completely insults the intelligence of Pennsylvania voters,” Oz consultant Barney Keller said Wednesday. “It can only be for one of two reasons: He’s lying about his ability to negotiate, or he’s lying about his willingness to negotiate. He can’t have both at the same time.” Despite Oz’s own hesitations about attacking Fetterman, the Republican campaign has shown no remorse for its aggressive attacks on Fetterman’s health. “Our staff told him to eat his vegetables, and his staff employs two convicted murderers,” said one Oz consultant, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the approach more openly. “We’ll leave it up to Pennsylvania to decide.” Fetterman, who had championed criminal justice reforms, including the legalization of recreational marijuana, employs Dennis and Lee Horton, brothers who spent 30 years in prison for a robbery and murder they say they did not commit. They were recommended for clemency by the state Zoning Board in 2020 and later released from life sentences, with the support of both Fetterman and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is a Democratic gubernatorial candidate this year. Fetterman called their release “the highlight of my career”. “These brothers will not die in prison for a crime they did not commit,” he tweeted in October. Senator Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) spent several hours Saturday with Fetterman at Demstock, an annual festival gathering for rural Democrats. Casey said there were no problems with Fetterman’s ability to hear and respond during their interactions in a cavernous room, although his recovery was still evident. “He sounded really good and really strong,” Casey said. “It’s not there yet, it needs time. I think most people understand that.” Democrats in the state aren’t “worried at all,” Casey said. “Obviously he’s had a long way between the stroke right before the qualifiers and where he is today, and he’s made remarkable progress in a relatively short amount of time.” TJ Rooney, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party, hosted a virtual fundraiser for Fetterman a few weeks ago, where the candidate spoke, followed by a Q&A with questions submitted in advance and read by the same donor on the call. “His speech was definitely stilted, but he totally listened and understood the questions,” Rooney said. “His answers were garbled, some words were slurred, but he clearly knew what was being asked of him.”

title: “The Fetterman Campaign Says Stroke Recovery Factors Into The Fall Debate Plans Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-04” author: “Lisa Pires”

Comment Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman’s Senate campaign said Wednesday that his recovery from a stroke, which has complicated his ability to engage in verbal conversation, could affect his plans for debates with Republican candidate Mehmet Oz in one of the highest-stakes games of this fall. “We’re working to figure out what a fair debate would look like with the lingering effects of audio processing in mind,” said Fetterman campaign strategist Rebecca Katz. “To be absolutely clear, the occasional problems he has with audio processing have nothing to do with his ability to do the job as a senator. Giannis is healthy and fully capable of showing up and doing the job.” Counselors say Fetterman can participate in one-on-one conversations but struggles with more chaotic auditory environments, a condition common to stroke survivors that doctors say can improve over time. Fetterman, who returned to the campaign trail on August 12, has yet to agree to any debate despite assurances from advisers that he plans to meet Oz, a celebrity cardiologist, on stage. He announced Tuesday that he would not attend a proposed Sept. 6 debate after Oz’s campaign released a statement that, Fetterman said, showed “they think it’s funny to make fun of a stroke survivor.” Oz’s campaign, which is pushing for five debates, including two next week, promised in a sarcastic statement Tuesday to “pay for any additional medical personnel” Fetterman may need at the debates, allow Fetterman to use notes or a headset and allow Fetterman to take bathroom breaks as needed. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which backs Oz, doubled down on the line of attack Wednesday, calling Fetterman “a coward who is ‘too weak and feeble’ to debate.” “If you’re too unhealthy to debate, you’re too unhealthy to serve in the US Senate where it can be 10 times more intense,” the NRSC’s unsigned statement said. The rising tensions highlight an extraordinary dynamic in a race seen as central to deciding which party controls the Senate next year. Republicans are trying to make Fetterman’s health and his campaign explanation a liability this fall after Fetterman suffered a stroke in mid-May and only later revealed a more complete picture of his medical history. Fetterman and his allies, seeking to show he can serve in a demanding job despite facing a tough recovery, have engaged in the fight just as aggressively, calling the sides shameful attacks from a struggling rival. Since returning to in-person events, Fetterman’s speeches have been limited to about 10 minutes and sometimes stop. For the most part, he has avoided public interactions with reporters and voters, other than working the ropes. He has done two one-on-one interviews via Zoom with local news outlets, which were conducted with real-time subtitles to avoid gaps in the conversation. In both interviews, he revealed his ongoing struggles with both hearing and speaking. “I’ll miss a word, or I might put two words together at some point in a conversation. But that’s really the only issue and it’s getting better and better,” Fetterman told KDKA in Pittsburgh. Fetterman’s campaign announced he would have his first nationally televised interview since his stroke on MSNBC Wednesday night. Oz and Republicans have accused Fetterman of not being able to handle reporters’ questions. Democrats and Fetterman’s campaign have said they see the Republican attacks on him as a sign of desperation that could backfire on Oz, who trailed Fetterman in early polls. A series of Democratic focus groups in August found little concern among voters about Fetterman’s health, with substantial sympathy for his continued recovery, according to a pollster who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private survey. At the caucuses, Democrats showed swing voters videos of Fetterman speaking before and after the stroke to check for concerns. Voters responded by saying they know people who have had a stroke and “it takes time” and expressed confidence that it will continue to improve, the pollster said. Fetterman’s campaign responded to Oz on Wednesday with a video clip from a weekend campaign appearance in which he admired Oz’s campaign approach. “Can you even imagine if you had a doctor who mocked your illness or mocked it?” said Fetterman in Mercer County, a rural part of the state. “This is where we are right now. I’d like to think that Dr. Oz might have really lost his way if you were going to make fun of someone who had a stroke.” Oz avoided getting involved in the attacks himself and on Tuesday distanced himself from his own campaign mocking Fetterman for not eating enough vegetables before his stroke. “I can only speak to what I say,” Oz said in a radio interview. The new attacks come as Fetterman continues to recover from a life-threatening clot that temporarily cut off blood flow to his brain. His campaign waited nearly two days after the stroke before telling the public he was in the hospital, then revealed weeks later that Fetterman had been diagnosed in 2017 with cardiomyopathy, a separate condition that reduces the amount of blood his heart could pump. After the stroke, he had a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted to treat cardiomyopathy, and Fetterman released a public statement pledging to take the medication he had stopped taking after his 2017 diagnosis. Fetterman’s aides say he has been fully engaged in his campaign and regularly walks several miles a day. After Oz distanced himself from his campaign statements, Fetterman personally drafted a meme that circulated on Twitter that used images of the musician Drake to mock those who disapprove of “making fun of strokes” but approve of “others making fun of strokes.” to a person who knows the facts. Dr. Joseph Schindler, clinical director of the Yale New Haven Comprehensive Stroke Center, said that without good clinical examination and brain MRI, it is difficult to know what kind of damage any stroke survivor has. But he said the inability to filter out external stimuli, including ambient noise, is a common complaint of people who have suffered strokes. It can improve over time, but it doesn’t always, he said. Schindler offered as an example a person sitting on a bench. When first sitting, the person feels the bench, but over time the brain filters out this stimulus as it focuses on other things. But after a stroke, a person may not be able to do that or ignore a nearby conversation or background music, Schindler said. “My experience is that it’s very variable, and recovery often depends on the injury to the brain and the location of that injury,” Schindler said. The campaign scene between Fetterman and Oz worsened throughout the summer, with Fetterman mocking Oz as an unknown celebrity “in Gucci loafers” who lives in New Jersey for a long time and owns several properties around the world. Oz responded by calling Fetterman a liberal hiding in his basement. “The Fetterman campaign completely insults the intelligence of Pennsylvania voters,” Oz consultant Barney Keller said Wednesday. “It can only be for one of two reasons: He’s lying about his ability to negotiate, or he’s lying about his willingness to negotiate. He can’t have both at the same time.” Despite Oz’s own hesitations about attacking Fetterman, the Republican campaign has shown no remorse for its aggressive attacks on Fetterman’s health. “Our staff told him to eat his vegetables, and his staff employs two convicted murderers,” said one Oz consultant, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the approach more openly. “We’ll leave it up to Pennsylvania to decide.” Fetterman, who had championed criminal justice reforms, including the legalization of recreational marijuana, employs Dennis and Lee Horton, brothers who spent 30 years in prison for a robbery and murder they say they did not commit. They were recommended for clemency by the state Zoning Board in 2020 and later released from life sentences, with the support of both Fetterman and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is a Democratic gubernatorial candidate this year. Fetterman called their release “the highlight of my career”. “These brothers will not die in prison for a crime they did not commit,” he tweeted in October. Senator Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) spent several hours Saturday with Fetterman at Demstock, an annual festival gathering for rural Democrats. Casey said there were no problems with Fetterman’s ability to hear and respond during their interactions in a cavernous room, although his recovery was still evident. “He sounded really good and really strong,” Casey said. “It’s not there yet, it needs time. I think most people understand that.” Democrats in the state aren’t “worried at all,” Casey said. “Obviously he’s had a long way between the stroke right before the qualifiers and where he is today, and he’s made remarkable progress in a relatively short amount of time.” TJ Rooney, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party, hosted a virtual fundraiser for Fetterman a few weeks ago, where the candidate spoke, followed by a Q&A with questions submitted in advance and read by the same donor on the call. “His speech was definitely stilted, but he totally listened and understood the questions,” Rooney said. “His answers were garbled, some words were slurred, but he clearly knew what was being asked of him.”