John Fetterman says Dr. Oz campaign appealing to 'folks who get their jollies' mocking 'stroke dude'
On The 11th Hour With Stephanie Ruhle Wednesday, Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman appeared for his first televised interview since suffering a stroke earlier this year. Fetterman addressed the fact that the campaign for his opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, has repeatedly mocked him for having a stroke.
“Desperation is the worst cologne,” Fetterman said, “and they understand that Dr. Oz’s campaign is in shambles, whether you look at the polls, you look at the fundraising. You know, they’ve just figured out that, you know, let’s appeal to folks that get their jollies making fun of the stroke dude.”
Fetterman also called out Oz personally for trying to distance himself from the actions of his own campaign.
“If that’s your story, tell it the way you got to,” Fetterman said. “But he really should own those words, and he should just acknowledge that as a doctor, you are going around making fun of somebody that had a stroke.”
Video Transcript
JOHN FETTERMAN: Dr. Oz, this campaign is in shambles. Whether you look at the polls you look at the fundraising, they've just figured out that-- let's appeal to folks that get their jollies making fun of a stroke dude.
- Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman and his wife Giselle appeared on the 11th hour with Stephanie Ruhle Wednesday where he addressed his opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz campaigned for repeatedly mocking the fact that he suffered a stroke earlier this year. Fetterman called out Oz for attempting to distance himself from his own campaign after backlash for the mockery.
JOHN FETTERMAN: If that's your story, tell it the way you got to but he really should own those words and he should just acknowledge that as a doctor, you are going around making fun of somebody that had a stroke.
- Fetterman doesn't believe Pennsylvania voters will approve of the Oz campaign's actions.
JOHN FETTERMAN: When you look around and realize that there's Pennsylvanians all across the state that have serious health crises in their own life and I don't think anybody would want a doctor in their lives making fun of them or laughing at their circumstances. But I just happen to have a doctor in my life to do just that.
- Fetterman also addressed the fact that the stroke has affected his speech, which some have pointed to as a concern.
JOHN FETTERMAN: The only lingering issue is every now and then I will have auditory processing and I might miss a word every now and then or I might mush two words together but that's really the effect of it now.
- And Fetterman couldn't help but take a shot at Oz's crudite's snafu that recently went viral.
JOHN FETTERMAN: My health now is robust and I'm able to live a normal life driving, going to the grocery store, not looking for crudites but nobody can really see a difference.
