Senate nominee John Fatterman released from hospital after stroke after Pennsylvania Democratic colleague Josh Shapiro says he “welcomes” Joe Biden’s help in the November election – despite a sharp drop in the president’s popularity
- Fetterman suffered a stroke on May 13 and had to have a pacemaker implanted on election day – when he received a Democrat nomination to the Senate with 59% of the vote
- The progressive populist has stated that he has not yet returned to the election campaign
- “I feel great, but on the instructions of my doctor and [his wife] By order of Giselle, I am going to continue to rest and recover, “Fetterman said in a statement.
- Meanwhile, another major Pennsylvania Democrat, gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro, seemed receptive to Biden campaigning for him
- This is despite the fact that Shapiro missed the event with Biden in Pennsylvania earlier this year, without explaining why
- A new CBS poll on Sunday shows Biden has 44% approval, 56% disapproves
Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman was released from hospital on Sunday after suffering a stroke days before a successful election.
The progressive populist was hospitalized last Friday, and on election day he had to implant a pacemaker – meaning he was absent from his party’s victory Tuesday night over MP Conor Lem, a moderate.
Meanwhile, another Democrat running for the Commonwealth, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, said Sunday that he would “welcome” President Joe Biden’s help in campaigning ahead of the November gubernatorial election.
Shapiro will face Pennsylvania Sen. Doug Mastrian, backed by Donald Trump.
In the 2020 presidential election, Biden barely won the battle over Trump, although as a result of numerous crises, including rising crime and record inflation, the president’s popularity fell to a record low during his first term in office.
His rating in Sunday morning’s CBS News / YouGov poll is just 44 percent, and his disapproval is 56 percent.
This has served to alienate several politicians within Biden’s own party, such as Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, who has previously said he is “not interested” in national figures such as the president who help their campaigns.
But when asked about the prospect on CNN’s State of the Union, Shapiro seemed to take the opportunity.
“Well, look, he’s from Pennsylvania, and I’ll welcome him here,” Shapiro told host Dana Bash.
“But I’m focused on racing here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, listening to the people of Washington County, not Washington, DC.”
Feterman’s wife Giselle has released a short video in which a Pennsylvania lieutenant leaves the hospital after suffering a stroke just over a week earlier.
Earlier this year, Shapiro was absent from an event Biden hosted in Pennsylvania, where he advertised his infrastructure deal.
At the time, he gave no indication as to why he missed the president’s visit, but wrote on Twitter: “I look forward to traveling with POTUS in his home state in the coming months as we fight to move forward PA.”
Fetterman was also expected not to come, but later appeared with Biden in his branded basketball shorts and hoodies on the site of the bridge that collapsed hours before the president’s arrival.
The victory of the lieutenant-governor of Pennsylvania in the primaries in the Senate was widely seen as a rebuke of voters against the moderate policies of the Democratic Party, which is usually associated with Biden.
He won the state primaries on Tuesday night, garnering nearly 59 percent of the vote, compared to just over 26 percent for Lamb, who was widely backed by Democrats.
It is unclear who Fetterman will face in November. Republican primaries are still too close to be appointed nearly a week after voters came to the polls, and leaders David McCormick and Trump-backed Dr. Mehmet Oz handed out about 1,000 ballots as of Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, his fellow Democrat from Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, is already being asked to consider whether he wants Biden’s help to oppose a Trump-backed opponent in the November gubernatorial election.
But it is clear that Fetterman will return to the election campaign – although it is unknown how soon.
His wife posted on Twitter Sunday afternoon a video of Fetterman leaving the hospital.
“Juan is heading home to” rest and recover, “Gisele Fetterman wrote, using her Portuguese translation of her name.
“I am very grateful to the amazing staff of Lancaster General for taking such good care of him from start to finish.”
The candidate made his own statement thanking the medical team that cared for him as well as his supporters.
“I couldn’t be happier to finally go home to my family,” Fetterman said in his company.
“I feel fine, but on the orders of my doctor and Giselle I will continue to rest and recover.”
He added that he would visit doctors about his recovery “later this week”.
“I’m going to spend the time I need now to rest and get out 100% so I can quickly go at full speed and turn that seat blue.”
Fetterman is fighting for a Senate seat vacated by Republican Sen. Pat Toomie.
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