Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman found himself in the spotlight once again, as he stumbled over his words and mispronounced keywords while introducing President Joe Biden during a tour of the collapsed I-95 bridge.
Adding to the controversy, Fetterman showed up for the event in a casual outfit consisting of a hoodie and shorts, while his fellow Democrat politicians were all dressed in suits.
Critics wasted no time in slamming the senator for his outfit choice and his verbal fumbles.
During his remarks to the media, Fetterman struggled to articulate his thoughts, mispronouncing words like “infrastructure” and “delegation.” He stated that Biden “is here to commit to work with the governor and the ‘delegadation’ to make sure that we get this fixed quick, fast, as well, too. This is a president that is committed to ‘infructure,’ yeah, and then on top of that the jewel kind of a law of the ‘infration.'”
President Biden, no stranger to verbal gaffes himself, nodded politely as Fetterman stumbled through his speech. This incident occurred just days after Fetterman raised concerns about his health during a Senate Environment Committee hearing when he struggled with his remarks regarding the I-95 bridge collapse.
The I-95 bridge collapsed after a tractor-trailer hauling gasoline overturned and caught fire on an off-ramp. As President Biden arrived in Philadelphia for an aerial tour of the collapse site, he was joined by Governor Josh Shapiro, Senator Bob Casey, Representative Brendan Boyle, and Mayor Jim Kenney. While all the other politicians were dressed in suits, Fetterman’s choice of attire drew harsh criticism online, with one person commenting that he “showed up ready for a game of hoops.”
Fetterman maintained his casual outfit throughout the day, even during his subsequent remarks.
However, his struggles with words continued as he referred to the bridge’s quick reconstruction, stating, “Guess what? That bridge was rebuilt in a year well, well in front of time,” and later concluding, “bridges all across American getting rebuilt.”
Known for his preference for casual attire, Fetterman has faced criticism for his choice of clothing in the past. Last month, he appeared alongside prominent Democrats, including Bernie Sanders, wearing his favored Carhartt hoodie to discuss progress on debt limit negotiations. Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert expressed disapproval of Fetterman’s outfit on Twitter, calling it “truly unbecoming.”
Fetterman’s stumbling and sometimes incoherent appearances in Congress have raised concerns about his health and mental competency. His struggles with speech and delivery have been attributed to his recovery from a stroke and his recent hospital stay for clinical depression.
Even before his election to the Senate, Fetterman faced criticism for his difficulty expressing his thoughts during a debate with Republican rival Mehmet Oz. Donald Trump Jr. even referred to him as “brain dead” during that time.
