On Wednesday, CNN host Erin Burnett called the gubernatorial debate between Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) and Republican candidate Mehmet Oz “tough at moments to watch.”
During her show “OutFront,” Burnett did not hold back on her thoughts concerning the state of Fetterman’s health.
“[A]s you watched it last night, it is fair to say, even supporters of Fetterman saw, it was clear, he was struggling at moments,” said Burnett. “It was tough at moments to watch because of moments like [his answer on fracking].”
Burnett also called Fetterman’s claims in his answer on fracking “counterfactual.”
Later in the interview, Burnett accused the Democratic nominee for governor of attempting “to change the subject from his debate performance, where the effects from his stroke were visible and, at times, difficult to watch.”
Burnett emphasized her point by playing the video of Fetterman’s answer on fracking during Tuesday’s debate.
“Look, it’s hard to watch that,” she said as the video finished.
Burnett then broke down her analysis of Fetterman’s fracking statement, pointing out the contradiction.
“I don’t know what was coming on the closed captioning, but this was a counterfactual,” Burnett said. “He said, ‘I support fracking,‘ when he had categorically said that he did not.”
“He said, ‘I do not support fracking at all,’” she continued. “So, what he said here was actually just wrong.”
CNN’s Burnett: @JohnFetterman ‘Counterfactual’ Fracking Answer Was ‘Hard to Watch’. As was entire debate. Pennsylvanians please be rational and compassionate for this man’s condition and the Country’s leadership https://t.co/ULQuniqLFP
— Ray Ivory (@RayIvory4) October 27, 2022
Fetterman’s health has been the subject of intense scrutiny since he suffered a serious stroke in May, just after securing the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania governor.
Though he returned to work as lieutenant governor later that month, he stayed away from public speeches for several months, prompting Oz and his campaign to repeatedly challenge Fetterman to attend a debate.
Fetterman declined the challenges, and though his doctor released a letter saying he was fit to resume the campaign trail, Fetterman admitted he was working through lingering effects from the stroke, including a tendency to mash his words together and difficulty in understanding verbal conversation without the aid of a closed captioning machine.
After Tuesday’s debate, Burnett and many others are questioning his fitness to serve in office.
