John Fetterman might be trading in his hoodie for a suit, but it seems he’ll still get the kid glove treatment from the media – or, at least, he expects to. And we have no reason to believe they’ll push back.
After beating out Republican Mehmet Oz for a Pennsylvania Senate seat on November 8, Fetterman showed up on Capitol Hill this week sporting a new look in a jacket and tie, only to encounter what lawmakers all over Washington, D.C. are pretty used to: a reporter yelling questions at him from the bottom of an escalator. But unlike many of his soon-to-be counterparts on the Hill, the senator-elect appeared to brush off requests for comment. And, according to his campaign advisor, it won’t be the last time.
“Two things we need to get out of the way: 1) John Fetterman has a suit and will wear it to the Capitol,” Rebecca Katz tweeted in response to the Huffington Posts’ Igor Bobic.
“He is still recovering from a stroke and has lingering auditory processing challenges. The way Hill reporters are used to yelling questions at Senators will not work here,” Katz added.
Two things we need to get out of the way:
— Rebecca Katz (@RebeccaKKatz) November 15, 2022
1) John Fetterman has a suit and will wear it to the Capitol.
2) He is still recovering from a stroke and has lingering auditory processing challenges. The way Hill reporters are used to yelling questions at Senators will not work here. https://t.co/0UCe47d9QC
During the campaign, Fetterman struggled to understand reporters’ questions and form coherent responses a result of the stroke he suffered back in May, which he said interfered with his ability to process words but not his cognition, and which wouldn’t affect his ability to do his job if elected to office.
A job that, you know, includes answering reporters’ questions.