Former Biden official calls Fetterman a 'political athlete, one of the best ones I've ever seen'
Michael LaRosa, former special assistant to President Biden, tells CNN the Pennsylvania Democrat is more than fit for office.
A former spokesman for First Lady Jill Biden heaped praise on Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman following the release of a doctor's note geared toward assuaging fears about the Democratic senatorial nominee's physical fitness for office.
Michael LaRosa, who also served as a special assistant to President Biden, joined host John Berman on CNN to tout Fetterman's vigor in his bid against Republican cardiothoracic surgeon Mehmet Oz in the Commonwealth.
"I don't even think he needed the note, to be honest with you. You see, the guy is a political athlete, one of the best ones I've ever seen," LaRosa claimed, after Duquesne-UPMC Dr. Clifford Chen released a missive evaluating Fetterman as having "no work restrictions and can work full duty in public office."
The 53-year-old former Braddock mayor has struggled with auditory processing disorder symptoms that "can come across as hearing difficulty," but is otherwise pretty healthy, Chen wrote in his letter.
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John Fetterman, lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and Democratic Senate candidate, speaks during a campaign rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Nate Smallwood/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
LaRosa, who hails from Easton, Pa., called Fetterman "pure talent" and a man who "looks and sounds and acts like the state of Pennsylvania."
He compared Fetterman's purported authenticity to that of Ohio Democratic senatorial nominee Timothy Ryan, who similarly has tried to burnish credentials as a 20-year representative of blue-collar Youngstown.
"Fetterman's traveling all over the state of Pennsylvania and having rallies are a measurement of enthusiasm like the former president used to measure," LaRosa said, referencing Donald Trump's oft focus on crowd size. "This guy is holding rallies all over [Pennsylvania] with huge numbers."
Fetterman, known for his signature sweatshirts, tattoos and goatee, has sought to contrast that blue-collar persona with Oz's wealth and television stardom. However, reports surfaced earlier this year that Fetterman received financial assistance from his parents through his late 40s and purchased his current home -- a converted car dealership – for $1.
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Fetterman's doctor, Dr. Clifford Chen at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said in a medical report released on Wednesday that the U.S. Senate candidate "is recovering well from his stroke and his health has continued to improve." (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center)
LaRosa later appeared to claim part of Fetterman's fitness was borne out through his 45-minute sit-down with NBC News, adding that Oz only gave the network 15 minutes, and claiming, "This guy has shown that he's more than capable of doing the job."
After the NBC News interview, correspondent Dasha Burns was ridiculed by the left for reporting Fetterman had problems engaging in "small talk" and required a computer monitor to receive questions with the help of closed captioning.
Fetterman is expected to utilize the same closed-captioning apparatus at his upcoming debate with Oz.
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Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz in Bucks County. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Chen, Fetterman's physician, is a prolific Democratic donor, contributing a reported $1,330 this cycle to Fetterman's campaign as well as to Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., who is running to unseat Sen. Marco Rubio, and Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia.
Fetterman suffered a stroke on May 13 — not long before clinching the primary nomination against Rep. Conor Lamb — and has been under intense scrutiny over his perceived difficulty engaging in meaningful dialogue and public speaking since.