Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was captured on a hot mic telling President Joe Biden that John Fetterman’s performance in the Pennslyvania Senate debate “didn’t hurt us too much”.
Mr Fetterman, who is recovering from a stroke he suffered in May before the primary election, relied on closed captioning during the Tuesday debate against GOP opponent Dr Mehmet Oz.
“Looks like the debate didn’t hurt us too much in Pennsylvania and we’re picking up steam in Nevada,” Mr Schumer could be seen telling Mr Biden.
Mr Fetterman admitted at the outset of the debate that he may miss or stumble over words because the stroke caused him problems with auditory processing, a condition that is expected to heal over time.
Throughout the debate, Mr Fetterman did stumble over his words at times but largely held his own against Dr Oz, who previously had a long career as a professional television host.
The debate sparked concern among some Democrats that Mr Fetterman’s performance would dissuade voters from supporting him.
The race between Mr Fetterman and Dr Oz, which has become one of the nastiest and personal in the country, remains tight with less than two weeks to go before Election Day.
Pennsylvania represents one of the best opportunities for Democrats to flip a Republican-controlled seat, as both candidates vie to succeed outgoing Republican Sen Pat Toomey.
Mr Fetterman has pledged to be the “51st vote” for Democrats in the Senate if he is elected – currently Democrats have a bare 50-50 majority, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as tie-breaker.
The Democrat’s campaign has hit Dr Oz for having stronger ties to New Jersey than the state where he is seeking federal office.
But Dr Oz has tapped into Americans’ worries about crime in major cities as well as concerns about inflation.
After the debate, Mr Fetterman told a crowd in Pittsburgh that he “knew it wasn’t going to be easy after having a stroke after five months”.
“In fact, I don’t think it has ever been done before in American political history actually. You know, after that stroke, I got knocked down, but I got back up,” he added.
“I’m going to fight for everyone in Pennsylvania, who ever got knocked down, that ever had to get back up,” Mr Fetterman added, noting that following the debate, his campaign has raised $2m, according to The New York Times.
Actor Mark Ruffalo came out in support of Mr Fetterman after the debate, tweeting on Wednesday that “as someone who suffered a brain tumour and temporary cognitive dysfunction, I can relate to John. This is a minor thing that passes”.
“These hard times just make us stronger, more compassionate people & better leaders. @JohnFetterman has got guts and heart,” he added.
