Don Lemon Presses Fetterman Over Health: ‘Is There A Reason That You Don’t Want Your Doctors To Take Questions?’

CNN anchor Don Lemon grilled Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman over his health, repeatedly asking why he won’t have his doctor brief the press.

Last Tuesday night, Fetterman and Oz participated in a televised debate that became the subject of heated commentary on Fetterman’s performance, a dispute over the closed-captioning tech used in the debate to accommodate Fetterman, and speculation about his condition. Coverage of the debate has dominated politics ever since.

On Tuesday morning’s edition of CNN This Morning, Lemon kicked off his exclusive interview with Fetterman by noting the use of closed captions and wasted little time in asking about the debate.

Lemon pressed Fetterman hard about transparency but also asked Fetterman how the experience has informed his policy goals and increased his empathy with voters going forward:

DON LEMON: Let’s turn to your race now. The day after your debate with Dr. Mehmet Oz, you acknowledge that it wasn’t easy to be up on that stage. You said that yourself a week later. Are you happy you did it?

JOHN FETTERMAN: No. I just always understood that it wasn’t going to be, be easy. I mean, I’m five months into recovery from from that. But I thought it was important that I show up and and and I did. And at the end of the day, we did, I think, made some important points, as well true. And I think it also, you know, reminded Dr. Oz the fact that he still believes that, you know, with the same kind of abortion thoughts with Doug Mastriano, who believes that local political leaders are the, need to be part of the decision between women and their doctors, as well true.

DON LEMON: Lieutenant Governor, you said the other night at a fundraiser with President Biden that you would be better in January. Do you and your doctors think that you will have a full recovery by then?

JOHN FETTERMAN: Yes. I’m sorry. I. I do believe that I continue to get better and feel better and better.

DON LEMON: Listen, we’ve heard a little from your doctor, but we haven’t heard a lot. You’re asking voters to trust you on your word that your health is good without the full story. So in the interest of full transparency for the voters, do you think it would help if you let your doctors brief the press before election night?

JOHN FETTERMAN: I think we’ve been pretty transparent. You know, we’ve, we’ve had our doctors just be very clear that they’re here, that we’re able to and fit to serve. And for my point, you know, we’ve been also been very transparent in terms of showing up at a debate and very transparent about, you know, having events in front of thousands and thousands of Pennsylvanians for for, for months. And I was again, know it was no secret that I was going to miss some words. I was going to mush some words together. And as we’ve been very clear eyed in the debate and during during this this interview, I’ve been using captioning as well true. I believe we’ve been pretty transparent to give all the voters to make it their, their choice.

DON LEMON: Listen, I’m asking the question for the voters, because the voters may ask, may wonder, is there a reason that you don’t want your doctors to take questions? That’s why I keep asking this.

JOHN FETTERMAN: No, no, I just, I just believe that we have our doctors just weigh in on that and they believe that I’m fit to serve. And that’s, that’s a point that was compatible, made in June, and compatible here just in October. And, you know, I choose the, you know, my real doctors composed to some of the criticism from like, you know, like a real Dr. Oz that’s just trying to weaponize somebody that just, you know, had a had a stroke.

DON LEMON: Yeah. Well, this leads me to my next question because which is an important one, I believe, because you’ve been dealing with things that a lot of Americans deal with. Have your health issues impacted your approach to policy and what you would do in Washington? And given, has it given you any real insight or new insight, I should say, into the country’s health care system?

JOHN FETTERMAN: Absolutely. I’ve been really connecting with people all across America, excuse me, all across Pennsylvania, actually, the America from, I’ve heard from people from all across there that have been either inspired or they support that that I’m leaning in. And I think it’s made me very empathetic about, more than I ever thought I was before. But now believing that the kind of health care that saved my life could be the same health care that it should be for any, every American, that it’s need there to save their life. I believe that health care is a basic, fundamental human right, and now it’s brought to a very, very specific kind of relief to me. You know, having, having my crisis, that every American should have those same kind of opportunities to have that kind of health care, you know, have it be there.

Watch above via CNN This Morning.