Senator John Fetterman’s team released pictures of him hard at work from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he checked himself in for clinical depression over three weeks ago.
The release was designed to quell concerns over reports that he had been co-sponsoring legislation recently despite being so impaired that he’s been a hospital inpatient for a significant period of time.
Instead, it raised even further questions.
The Political Insider reported earlier in the week on Fox News host Tucker Carlson openly wondering about the highly unusual arrangement with Fetterman co-sponsoring three bills in one week.
“How is John Fetterman doing this if he’s in the psych ward?” wondered Carlson. “And we don’t know because no one will say.”
RELATED: Tucker Carlson: How Can John Fetterman Co-Sponsor Legislation From the ‘Psych Ward’?
Fetterman Pictures Released
Senator John Fetterman’s team must have heard the rumblings. Within 24 hours, his top aide, Adam Jentleson, posted a few images of the Senator purportedly toiling away from the hospital.
“Productive morning with Senator Fetterman at Walter Reed discussing the rail safety legislation, Farm Bill and other Senate business,” Jentleson tweeted.
“John is well on his way to recovery and wanted me to say how grateful he is for all the well wishes. He’s laser focused on PA & will be back soon,” he added.
The images show Fetterman laser-focused on a few sheets of paper upon which the text is anybody’s guess. As well as one where both he and Jentleson are proving how intense their conversation is by pointing at each other.
Productive morning with Senator Fetterman at Walter Reed discussing the rail safety legislation, Farm Bill and other Senate business. John is well on his way to recovery and wanted me to say how grateful he is for all the well wishes. He’s laser focused on PA & will be back soon. pic.twitter.com/143uAhoQRx
— Adam Jentleson (@AJentleson) March 6, 2023
Prior to being elected, Fetterman had experienced a stroke which left him quite obviously unable to understand words and meanings.
Fetterman was hospitalized overnight just one month into his term, while reports surfaced that he was struggling to adapt to life in the Senate, hearing voices that sound like the teacher in the “Peanuts” cartoons and requiring colleagues to adjust to his “special needs.”
Questions Abound
While the release of the Fetterman pictures kept uncurious media at bay, several social media users were left with questions about his condition.
Louis Marinelli, the president of the political action committee Yes California, pointed out that still images don’t show much proof that Fetterman is being productive at all.
“He’s not actually reading or discussing anything in those pictures,” Marinelli tweeted, comparing the photo shoot to a “proof of life” scenario.
He’s not actually reading or discussing anything in those pictures. They came and gave him papers as a prop for a proof of life photo, then sent him back to bed.
— Louis Marinelli (@LouisJMarinelli) March 7, 2023
Christina Pushaw, a top aide to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, was curious as to why the hospital would allow Jentleman to visit considering Fetterman’s severe clinical depression.
“I thought he was in inpatient treatment for a psychiatric emergency? How come they let you in?” she asked. “And why are they letting him work? He is supposed to be recovering no?”
I thought he was in inpatient treatment for a psychiatric emergency? How come they let you in?? And why are they letting him work? He is supposed to be recovering no??
— Christina Pushaw ? ?? (@ChristinaPushaw) March 7, 2023
Other users noted that the images appear to show the Senator having lost a significant amount of weight, while others suggested the lack of video may be due to a potential second stroke.
“Do you imagine we can’t recognize a planned photo op when we see it?” another individual replied. “You think we believe this is a real picture of him working?”
Lol. Do you imagine we can’t recognize a planned photo op when we see it? You think we believe this is a real picture of him working?
— Hepzibah_Splurge (@hepsplurge) March 6, 2023
I mean, why would Democrats be accused of staging things?
That said, there is no evidence that the photos were staged or that Fetterman has suffered another stroke.
The New York Times on Thursday tried to run cover for the Pennsylvania senator, publishing a lengthy piece on how he is able to work from the psych ward at Walter Reed.
His chief of staff, the newspaper writes, brings “a briefcase full of newspaper clips, statements for him to approve, legislation to review and other business of the day.”
And, they claim, “It is not unusual for lawmakers to be told by members of their staff, sometimes after the fact, what bills they are co-sponsoring” and “there are few meetings that cannot be handled by senior staff.”
Sounds like an argument for Fetterman to resign, since his presence is completely unnecessary.
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