Pennsylvania Democrat Nominee for US Senate Struggling With Auditory Processing After Stroke: Aide

John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, is having trouble processing audio after a recent stroke, an aide said.

The Fetterman campaign has suggested that the stroke is responsible for Fetterman’s unwillingness to commit to debates with Dr. Mehmet Oz, the GOP nominee in one of the nation’s most-watched races.

“We are working to figure out what a fair debate would look like with the lingering impacts of the auditory processing in mind,” Fetterman campaign strategist Rebecca Katz said in a statement to The Washington Post. “To be absolutely clear, the occasional issues he is having with auditory processing have no bearing on his ability to do the job as senator. John is healthy and fully capable of showing up and doing the work.”

Reportedly, Fetterman has no trouble holding one-on-one conversations, but struggles with more chaotic auditory environments. Trouble with such auditory processing is a common effect experienced by stroke survivors.

Despite assurances from campaign aides that Fetterman has every intention to debate Oz, following his Aug. 12 return to the campaign trail after his stroke, Fetterman has yet to commit to any one of the five debates requested by the Oz campaign.

On Aug. 30, as Fetterman remained uncommitted to attend a planned debate on Sept. 6, the Oz campaign released a statement ridiculing Fetterman and promising him various concessions for the debates.

In one such point, the Oz campaign said, “Doctor Oz promises not to intentionally hurt John’s feelings at any point.”

In another, the campaign promised, “We will allow John to have all of his notes in front of him along with an earpiece so he can have the answers given to him by his staff, in real time.”

In another, “We will pay for any additional medical personnel

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases