Fetterman Agrees To Debate Dr. Oz Amid Pressure Over Health Concerns

PENNSYLVANIA — As conservatives press Lt. Gov. John Fetterman's health and fitness for office following a stroke in May, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate has agreed to a televised debate with Republican celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz. It's a notable development after weeks of the Oz campaign's messaging focusing on Fetterman's absence from the campaign trail and pressuring him to debate.

Fetterman's campaign has said that he has a slower auditory processing speed since he suffered the stroke, the Associated Press reported, and they want the debate to be in a format that accomodates this.

Beyond Fetterman's relative paucity of public events since the spring, Oz and Republicans have seized on his few speeches as evidence that his stroke impacted him more than he let on.

Fetterman's campaign, in turn, has said their opponents' true intentions are “about mocking John for having a stroke.”

It's not yet clear exactly when or where the debate will take place.

Fetterman underwent surgery for a pacemaker with a defibrillator to help regulate his heart rhythm after the stroke in May.

Campaigning has intensified on both sides on social media in recent weeks, with Oz's team questioning Fetterman's health, pointing out his absence from the campaign trail, and attempting to pillory his progressive policies as extreme. Fetterman's side has not shied away from pointing out Oz's unfamiliarity with Pennsylvania, his recent residency in New Jersey, and Trump-related inconsistencies in his platform and experience.

Fetterman maintains a 6.5 point lead over Oz, according to an aggregate of recent polls from RealClearPolitcs.