John Fetterman Blames ‘Brutality’ of Senate Campaign from ‘the Other Side’ for His Depression

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) cited the “brutality” seen from “the other side” of his Senate campaign as one reason for his depression, which caused him to be absent from the Senate for two months, in an interview.

Fetterman took a two-month leave of absence from the Senate just one month after being sworn into office to receive treatment for depression from Walter Reed Medical Center.

He returned to the Capitol in the middle of last month.

Fetterman told KDKA-TV’s Jon Delano that he feels “fantastic” since returning to work.

“I feel fantastic, honestly,” Fetterman said. “A lot of people have been asking, ‘Hey, how are you feeling, how’s your depression?’ It’s in remission, and I am just so grateful to be feeling great.”

Delano then asked if Fetterman is “fit, mentally and physically,” to continue his service as Pennsylvania’s U.S. senator.

“That certainly is very blunt, but my answer will be blunt, too. Hell, yes, and that’s why I’m doing it,” Fetterman said. “Just the way any Pennsylvanians are working, you take it a day and a day and work hard, and that’s exactly what I am doing here.”

He went on to blame the “brutality of the campaign” for causing his depression, along with the stroke he suffered last May.

“It was after the brutality of the campaign, the other side,” Fetterman said. “Some people believe it was one of the most vicious political campaigns.”

However, Fetterman does not explicitly blame Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz for causing his depression.

“I wasn’t being the kind of senator Pennsylvania deserved. I wasn’t being the kind of husband Gisele deserved, I wasn’t being the kind of father my children deserved,” he added.

Watch: Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) Returns to Capitol Hill After Two-Month Absence
C-SPAN

Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.