Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was taken to the hospital on Wednesday after “feeling lightheaded” while in Washington, D.C., for a Senate Democratic retreat. He was still in the hospital on Thursday, but according to his office, an MRI and other testing ruled out having another stroke.
According to a statement released by Fetterman’s office late on Wednesday night, his staff drove Fetterman to George Washington University Hospital.
“Initial tests did not show evidence of a new stroke, but doctors are running more tests and John is remaining overnight for observation,” the statement read, adding that he was in “good spirits and talking with his staff and family.”
In another statement Thursday evening, his communications director, Joe Calvello, said Fetterman had just received the results of an MRI. “According to John’s doctors at The George Washington University Hospital, the results of the MRI, along with the results of all of the other tests the doctors ran, rule out a new stroke. He is being monitored with an EEG for signs of seizure — so far there are no signs of seizure, but he is still being monitored,” he said.
In May, while running for the Senate, 53-year-old Fetterman, who was at the time Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, suffered a stroke. He underwent surgery to have a pacemaker implanted.
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In October, he published a doctor’s note stating that he had “no work restrictions and can work full duty in public office.”
Nevertheless, Fetterman’s health was a significant campaign issue since Dr. Mehmet Oz, his Republican opponent, frequently questioned Fetterman’s fitness for office.
In a late October debate with Oz, Fetterman confessed to utilizing a closed captioning device to read questions. Still, he insisted again that he had been open about his health issues and was getting better every day.
Sen. John Fetterman was hospitalized Wednesday night after feeling lightheaded at the end of a Senate Democratic retreat
**** here’s some satire of pre dementia Biden and Fetterman to lighten the mood pic.twitter.com/O9kLmRcLBS— AntiCommunistWarrior™ (@BrazilianGirl32) February 10, 2023
During his debate with Oz, his difficulties with auditory processing were clear since he occasionally stumbled over his words and found it challenging to respond to queries.
Despite having health issues, Fetterman managed to overcome Oz, who had had the support of the late President Donald Trump, in November. His victory over Oz enabled Democrats to increase their Senate majority from 50 to 51 members.
He was present for Tuesday night’s State of the Union speech by Vice President Biden.
