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Did John Fetterman say 'I celebrate the demise of Roe v Wade'? Confusion erupts on social media

Polls suggest Fetterman and Oz are neck-and-neck in the Senate race, but the Democrat hopeful has sparked concerns after a number of mangled answers

John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate hopeful who is a stroke victim, reportedly appeared to flub his words again on the campaign trail -- this time saying he was against abortion. He allegedly made the comment during a campaign event Saturday, November 5, that was attended by both President Biden and former President Barack Obama, reported Daily Mail.

Fetterman, who has locked horns with his Republican opponent Dr Mehmet Oz for the Senate seat, was probably trying to say that the TV doctor "celebrates the demise of Roe v. Wade," but ended up declaring, "I celebrate the demise of Roe v. Wade," as per Daily Mail. Polls suggest Fetterman and Oz are neck-and-neck in the hard-fought race, but the Democrat hopeful has sparked concerns after a number of reportedly mangled answers, many of which have been attributed to his recovery from a May stroke.

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Social media erupted after a clip of Fetterman's latest gaffe went viral. While some joked at his expense, others slammed his critics as "dishonest." "The lights are on, but nobody's home," one quipped. "He said 'Oz celebrates the demise of roe vs wade' it’s pretty clear," a supporter contended. "Nope. Listened three times. He said "I" celebrate the demise...He is clearly a trooper but still struggling. Question is how much can he recover, especially with the pressure of being a candidate/potential senator. If he is elected suspect he’ll resign and let gov. appoint a sub," another said

One user offering a defense of Fetterman said. "Hilarious how people hear what they want to hear. Listen again. You can hear the 'z' sound before he says celebrate. This is s cheap shot, and dishonest." "Look, I’m as Conservative as they come. I’m no fan of Fetterman. That being said, he VERY clearly said 'Oz celebrates…'" another added. However, many believed that the Democratic candidate wasn't fit to run for office. "I can’t believe the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania is running this guy. It’s an embarrassment," a comment read. "Why do democrats always run the worst possible candidates they can dig up?" another chimed in.

This came after a televised debate last month in which Fetterman's reported performance only heightened concerns about his ability to hold political office. "Hi, goodnight everyone," Fetterman said at the start of the debate, before addressing questions about his health. "Let's also talk about the elephant in the room: I had a stroke. [Oz] never let me forget that."

The candidate was, at one point, asked to clarify his position on fracking -- especially after the lieutenant governor had expressed broad opposition to the practice in a 2018 interview. "I do support fracking - I don't, I don't - I support fracking, and I do support fracking," he answered, leaving voters flummoxed.

Furthermore, Fetterman repeatedly declined to release his medical records to the public. "My doctor ultimately believes that I'm fit to be serving and that's what I believe," he declared.  

Fetterman's campaign had tempered expectation in the lead-up to the debate, admitting beforehand that there would be "awkward pauses" and "delays and errors" as the Democrat would be relying on closed captioning in light of his auditory processing issue. When asked about small business owners who were concerned about raising the minimum wage, he responded, "We all have to make sure that everyone that works is able to- that's the most American bargain, that if you work full time you should be able to live in dignity is well true." He added, "We can't have businesses being subsidized by not paying individuals that just simply can't evade to pay their own way," reported Daily Mail.

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Following the debate, a CNN panel of political pundits and lawmakers ripped Fetterman's performance. Former GOP congressman for Pennsylvania, Charlie Dent, said he was "astounded" and "stunned" by the performance. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump's ex-communications director, Alyssa Farah Griffin. said it was "painful to watch." What's more? Even CNN star host Alisyn Camerota said she was disturbed by the spectacle. "I've interviewed him many times as lieutenant governor," she said. "And he sounds - he's sounded different before the stroke." She added, "In the interviews, he was much more, sort of, clear-spoken than what I'm hearing," reported Daily Mail.