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American politician John Fetterman left the internet skeptical after making his opening statements following his return to the Senate. On April 19, the 53-year-old personality returned to the Senate after getting treated for clinical depression. The Pennsylvania Democrat resumed his position as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research.
He began his speech by thanking the committee members and said that he "looks forward to working with them on the farm bill."
Fetterman can be seen reading from his notes as he delivered a choppy opening statement before discussing SNAP - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. He said hunger is not a "Republican or a Democratic" issue "but all of our issue that we have to take it on."
However, John Fetterman's constant reading and unexpected pauses while speaking left the internet skeptical about his health.
John Fetterman asked a staffer to hold up his iPad while interacting with people
Not just during his opening remarks, but John Fetterman also sparked health concerns after a video, uploaded by a Twitter user @greg_price11, showed the politician standing beside a staff member who held up his iPad as he talked to people after the hearing ended.
After Fetterman's speech went viral, Twitterati was confused and skeptical about whether the senator would be able to perform his duties.
Several users mocked the politician for the way he was reading during his opening statements, with one of them even stating that he is "unfit to serve."
Others pointed out that he was reading like an elementary school kid and called the whole situation sad.
John Fetterman recently spoke about his mental health struggles
While speaking to People Magazine in an interview published on April 19, John Fetterman opened up about his mental health struggles that forced him to take a leave of absence from the Senate.
After six weeks of being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the 52-year-old politician returned to his position, stating that he previously did not believe that depression was “significant enough to go get help" but things changed after his campaign against challenger Mehmet Oz.
The politician said that while he was recovering from a stroke he suffered in May 2022, his depression accelerated after his debate with Oz in October 2022 which the critics described as a "disaster."
He said:
“I don’t have any regrets because I believe that I had a responsibility to do the debate, but after that point, to me, that was where the depression really started to set in.”
Fetterman recalled that when he was sworn into his new position on Capitol Hill, his "depression was in full force." He stated shortly after his inauguration that he needed to deal with his mental health and ultimately decided to check himself in.
Even on election night, according to his wife Gisele Fetterman, the now-senator was not as joyful as one would anticipate.
"After he won, you expect someone to be at their highest and really happy and celebratory. And after winning, he seemed to be at the lowest. That was, for me, the moment of concern.”
John Fetterman said in an interview that it was "one of the happiest days" of his life when his neuropsychiatrist said that his depression was in remission. He then urged people to address their mental health, stating he was skeptical in the beginning but it got better after taking help.
