Senator John Fetterman was sent to the hospital after experiencing dizziness while at a Senate Democratic event, according to his office.
In a statement released on Wednesday night, Fetterman’s communications director, Joe Calvello, said: “Towards the end of the Senate Democratic retreat today, Senator John Fetterman began feeling lightheaded. He left and called his staff, who picked him up and drove him to the George Washington university hospital.”
The senator stayed in the hospital overnight even though preliminary tests conducted at the hospital did not reveal any indication of a recent stroke, according to Calvello. The stroke suffered by the 53-year-old was brought on by atrial fibrillation, or an abnormal heartbeat, according to the BBC.
While still in the hospital, 53-year-old Fetterman won the primary election for his Senate seat while he was still healing from the stroke he had in May, just days before the primary. He subsequently defeated Republican challenger Mehmet Oz in the November election. According to Fetterman’s physician, the Pennsylvania Democrat has both cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation.
Social media users had a lot to say after Fetterman’s stroke.
Although I sincerely hope that Sen. John Fetterman has a full recovery, I also hope he recovers after tendering his resignation from the Senate due to his inability to serve.
— Matthew Kolken (@mkolken) February 9, 2023
Fetterman already in the hospital. We told yall he couldn't do it.
— iTamara 💋 🥸 (@Real___iTamara) February 9, 2023
John Fetterman was rushed to a DC hospital late last night. Doctors fear he may have suffered another stroke. The Democrats should be ashamed after propping this man up knowing he had poor health and still couldn’t speak properly! They just want power screw everything else.
— Sailing Patriot🏴🍊🇺🇸🏴☠️ (@Tarheelnation81) February 9, 2023
Spare me over my lack of sympathy and mercy for fetterman, when HE lacks sympathy and mercy for full-term babies being grotesquely aborted in the womb!
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) February 9, 2023
That Biden SOTU address was so bad it stroked poor Fetterman out 🤦🏾♀️
— Monique Worthy (@1MoniqueWorthy) February 9, 2023
His recuperation emerged as a major talking issue throughout the campaign, particularly following a televised debate with Oz in which Fetterman struggled to form complete sentences and stumbled over words. Republicans questioned his capacity to serve as a senator, but Fetterman’s admirers praised his fortitude.
He was given a pacemaker and defibrillator since he also had cardiomyopathy, a condition that makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood to the body’s tissues and may result in heart failure.
With considerable speech impediments, Fetterman returned to the campaign trail in August, and his health came under scrutiny in the increasingly close contest.
