Democratic Sen. John Fetterman was recovering in the hospital Thursday after suffering a fall blamed on a “flare up” of a previously diagnosed heart ailment while on a walk near his home in western Pennsylvania.
Fetterman, who won a blockbuster 2022 race against Republican Dr. Oz despite suffering a stroke during the campaign, said he took a tumble outside his home in Braddock, Pennsylvania after feeling lightheaded due to what doctors say was an episode of ventricular fibrillation, a potentially dangerous heart rhythm problem.
The 6-foot-8 senator, known for wearing hoodies and shorts on Capitol Hill, was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital, where he remained under observation with minor injuries to his face.
“If you thought my face looked bad before, wait until you see it now!” Fetterman, 56, joked in a statement.
Fetterman has opted to stay in the hospital so doctors can “fine tune his medication regimen.”
Although Fetterman laughed off the episode, ventricular fibrillation is considered a very dangerous heart condition and is the “most common cause of sudden cardiac death,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
Fetterman revealed in November 2022 that he had been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, a different heart condition that is considered less dangerous than ventricular fibrillation.
The heart conditions could have been contributing factors to the serious stroke he suffered in 2022.
He has mostly recovered from the stroke but still struggles somewhat with speech and comprehension.
Fetterman was once a darling of progressives but has irked many in his party by regularly crossing the aisle to vote with Republicans. He was one of two Democrats and a Democratic-leaning independent who originally voted for a Republican bill to avert the government shutdown, a bill that eventually succeeded with few concessions when five more Democrats defected.
Some Pennsylvania Democrats say Fetterman could face a tricky primary challenge if he runs for reelection in 2028. Others even speculate he could switch parties.
Fetterman’s health struggles, including his battle with mental health woes, have been a key part of his meteoric political rise.
He recently penned a memoir entitled “Unfettered” in which he frankly discusses his battle with depression and admits having considered suicide.
