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Senator\u00a0John Fetterman<\/strong> of Pennsylvania will return to the Senate in a few weeks following inpatient treatment for clinical depression at\u00a0Walter Reed Military Medical Center on Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n His aides said he would return in a few weeks<\/a>, while Fetterman\u2019s chief of staff, Adam Jentleson<\/strong> added, \u201cIn Senate time, which is a bit like geologic time, John\u2019s time away will be the blink of an eye.”<\/p>\n Similarly,\u00a0Manuel Bonder<\/strong>, press secretary for Pennsylvania Governor\u00a0Josh Shapiro<\/strong> said: \u201cThe governor admires Senator Fetterman taking care of his mental health and looks forward to him being back in the Senate representing Pennsylvania.\u201d<\/p>\n Fetterman\u2019s health has been under the microscope ever since he had a stroke days before the primary election in May.\u00a0Many<\/a>\u00a0sitting<\/a>\u00a0members<\/a> of Congress have suffered from a stroke\u2014including New Mexico Senator\u00a0Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n,<\/strong>\u00a0Maryland Senator\u00a0Chris Van Hollen<\/strong> and Illinois Senator\u00a0Mark Kirk<\/strong>\u2014and even more have suffered from illnesses\u2014most recently, Maryland Rep.\u00a0Jamie Raskin<\/strong> disclosed he was diagnosed with cancer. Mental health is a whole other animal, riddled with even more stigma, but still, Fetterman\u00a0is not the first<\/a> politician to experience it while holding office.<\/p>\n Perhaps what sets Fetterman apart, then, is that he has been on the defensive about his health before he was even elected. (Not to mention\u00a0he flipped a high-profile Senate<\/a> seat.) His rival, Dr.\u00a0Mehmet Oz<\/strong> made Fetterman\u2019s health a fixture in his campaign against Fetterman.\u00a0<\/p>\n Oz\u2019s senior communications adviser,\u00a0Rachel Tripp<\/strong>, was caught saying:\u00a0“If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life<\/a>, then maybe he wouldn’t have had a major stroke and wouldn’t be in the position of having to lie about it constantly.\u201d<\/p>\n This focus magnified as the debate approached, when Oz\u2019s campaign communications director\u00a0Brittany Yanick<\/strong> also said, \u201cIf John is too sick to debate and is concerned he can not stand in front of cameras for\u00a0more than 10 minutes<\/a>, then he should just say so.\u201d<\/p>\n Fetterman defended himself, tweeting: \u201cI had a stroke. I survived it<\/a>. I\u2019m truly so grateful to still be here today.\u201d Not only did he participate in the debate, but he subsequently won the state by\u00a0five percentage points<\/a>.<\/p>\n Disclosing his health battles publicly has put Fetterman in a precarious position, making him the target of blatant criticism for calls to resign from the GOP and\u00a0conservative<\/a>\u00a0pundits<\/a>, but also paving the way for other politicians to speak about their own health concerns.<\/p>\n Notable conservative pundits not only criticized Fetterman, but also the Democratic party. After the news broke of the Pennsylvania senator\u2019s hospitalization, Fox News host\u00a0Tucker Carlson<\/strong> said,\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s news to no one that John Fetterman is unfit to serve in the United States Senate\u2014he was not fit to run for office.\u201d<\/p>\n Conservative podcast host Ben Shapiro<\/strong>\u00a0jumped into the conversation, tweeting: \u201cThere is\u00a0no excuse other than pure power<\/a> for Fetterman to remain a senator. A Democrat will replace him; the governor of PA is a Democrat. It is unconscionable for anyone, particularly family, to continue to put him in this position.\u201d<\/p>\n This content can also be viewed on the site it originates<\/a> from.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nTwitter content<\/h4>\n