Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., raised eyebrows after he made rambling, almost incoherent remarks about an elevated highway collapse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this week.
When asked to speak about the accident during a U.S. Senate Environment Committee hearing Wednesday, the freshman senator appeared to stutter, repeat the name of the roadway three times, and then, with difficulty, mention the significance of the problem.
The exchange began with committee chairman Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., inviting Fetterman to give a comment or two on the I-95 highway collapse that happened Sunday.
A tanker truck containing thousands of gallons of gasoline caught fire underneath the I-95 overpass, melting the metal beams supporting it and causing the highway to collapse.
When prompted, the senator struggled to begin speaking. He started off saying, "Uh no, I – uh, would just, um, really like to, you know — the 95, 95, 95. You know?"
Gesturing towards the chairman, he continued, "Obviously, you know, you’re pretty much preoccupied with uh 95. And uh, I certainly am, too. And we know it’s a major atery[sic], not just for Pennsylvania but for the East Coast. And a lot of Pennsylvanians are worried that the delays in repairs bring to its stand still deal."
A brief clip of these opening comments quickly went viral, although the senator's speech seemed to improve the longer he spoke.
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Fetterman’s critics remarked on his struggle on social media, mocking his campaign defenders who claimed he was fine and that any questions were ablest, as well as Pennsylvania voters for electing the Democrat.
The Spectator contributing editor Stephen L. Miller tweeted, "He's fine. Just needs hearing aids. No different than being in a wheelchair."
"Party over country," tweeted Mayor James Gagliano of Cornwall-no-Hudson, N.Y.
Former congressional candidate Sandy Smith remarked, "This is a sitting US Senator. Our country is in serious trouble."
"he's not well... and his wife and DNC don't care as long as the dems have a senate seat," the Hammer and Nigel radio show said.
Political strategist Joey Mannarino left a sarcastic comment on the clip, stating, "Couldn’t have said it better myself. Keep voting Democrat, Philly."
OutKick founder Clay Travis posted a sarcastic reply of his own, tweeting, "John Fetterman weighs in on the I-95 collapse as only he can. Profound, trenchant, eloquent. Good choice, Pennsylvania."
Radio producer for Fox News Sunday show host Mark Levin Rich Sementa simply observed, "John Fetterman’s Brain Freezes."
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And The Daily Caller remarked on Fetterman wearing a suit during the hearing, as opposed to his usual sweatshirt and shorts get up. The account tweeted, "Fetterman swag - suit straight off the rack."
Fetterman's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fetterman’s abilities have been widely questioned since he suffered a stroke during his campaign for U.S. Senate last year and offered limited media appearances.
His audio and visual deficiencies stemming from the stroke have been so profound that he uses closed captioned questions for interviews, including during his senatorial debate. Fetterman spent 6 weeks at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center being treated for depression earlier this year.
