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GOP Hypocrisy

MAGAs Tweet Their True Colors After John Fetterman Checks into Walter Reed for Mental Health Treatment

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There’s no doubt that Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is a brave man, successfully fighting off a devastating stroke even as he deals with its effects daily, and, despite his many detractors, waging a victorious campaign against Dr. Mehmet Oz during last November’s midterm elections.

But Wednesday evening, the senator checked himself into a hospital and is being treated for clinical depression, his office said Thursday.

Fetterman suffered the stroke in May 2022 and it has made it difficult for him to process speech sometimes. Quite obviously the man is used to fighting and it is to be hoped he’ll beat back this depression.

Adam Jentleson, Fetterman’s chief of staff issued a statement saying the senator has dealt with depression “off and on throughout his life,” but added it “became severe in recent weeks.”

Right now, the senator is being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where according to Jentleson, he is “receiving treatment on a voluntary basis.”

“After examining John, the doctors at Walter Reed told us that John is getting the care he needs, and will soon be back to himself,” Jentleson said.

And his wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman has released a statement on Twitter.

“After what he’s been through in the past year, there’s probably no one who wanted to talk about his own health less than John,” Gisele wrote. “I’m so proud of him for asking for help and getting the care he needs.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had good wishes for Fetterman and praised him for getting the help he needs.

“Happy to hear @SenFettermanPA is getting the help he needs and deserves,” Schumer tweeted. “Millions of Americans, like John, struggle with depression each day.”

You may recall that Fetterman, 53, recently spent a few days under observation at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., due to feeling “lightheaded” during a Senate Democratic retreat. He was admitted to GWU on February 8 and spent a couple of days there as hospital staff conducted a series of tests and determined he had not suffered another stroke.

“John is looking forward to spending some time with his family and returning to the Senate on Monday,” his staff said in a statement, noting his intentions to return to work.

A report by The New York Times also quoted Jentleson who discussed the enormous stress his boss is under as a result of the stroke.

“What you’re supposed to do to recover from this is do as little as possible,” Jentleson said. But rest wasn’t really going to be possible if Fetterman wished to flip what was then a Republican seat to become the 51st Democratic vote in the Senate. This effort meant he was “forced to do as much as possible — he had to get back to the campaign trail. It’s hard to claw that back.”

By the beginning of his first month on Capitol Hill, Fetterman was already facing a daunting workload, beginning with getting to know his colleagues, being placed on five Senate Committees — and even asking his first round of questions about the 2023 Farm Bill, co-sponsoring legislation and voting for the first time on the Senate floor.

Vice President Kamala Harris, right, participates in a ceremonial swearing-in of Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., left, with his wife Gisele Barreto Fetterman, in the Old Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023.

This, plus keeping up with constituents would be a challenge for anyone, but he also deals with a four-hour commute from Braddock, Pennsylvania to D.C. when the Senate is in session and that really is a massive grind.

But you know who’s waiting at home for him? These good people. His kids.

But some not-so-good people are posting vile things on Twitter. And of course, they are all Republicans. You were expecting anything else?

Megan Hamilton
meet the author

Megan has lived in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida and she currently lives in Central America. Living in these places has informed her writing on politics, science, and history. She is currently owned by 15 cats and 3 dogs and regularly owns Trump supporters when she has the opportunity. She can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GaiaLibra and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/politicalsaurus

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