Senator John Fetterman Has Checked Himself Into Walter Reed Medical Center

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has made headlines for a multitude of reasons, both good and bad. During his terms as the mayor of Braddock between 2006 and 2019, he faced criticism for publicly lambasting aspects of his town during media appearances. He also received backlash for an incident in which he allegedly pointed a loaded shotgun at an unarmed Black man in January 2013.

In 2019, he was sworn in as lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania.

During that time, he openly contested the voter fraud allegations during the 2020 presidential election, where he attempted to take up Texas Lt. Gov Dan Patrick's $1 million offer for detecting false ballots as a jab against Donald Trump's re-election efforts.

But among John's many headline-worthy acts, he's also been subject to numerous health crises. Recently, he checked himself into the hospital. What's the latest health update for John Fetterman?

The Pennsylvania Senator checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Feb. 16, 2023. In a statement, his chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, stated that John was there "to receive treatment for clinical depression."

Adam continued, "On Monday, John was evaluated by Dr. Brian P. Monahan, the attending physician of the United States Congress. Yesterday, Dr. Monahan recommended inpatient care at Walter Reed. John agreed, and he is receiving treatment on a voluntary basis."

His statement concluded, "After examining John, the doctors at Walter Reed told us that John is getting the care he needs, and will soon be back to himself."

At the time of writing, it is unclear when John will be released from Walter Reed.

John's wife, Gisele, tweeted on Feb. 17 that she was "so proud of him for asking for help.”

“After what he’s been through in the past year, there’s probably no one who wanted to talk about his own health less than John," she wrote. "I’m so proud of him for asking for help and getting the care he needs."

Outlets like People previously reported that on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, John Fetterman spent the night at George Washington University Hospital after experiencing a bout of lightheadedness during a Senate Democratic retreat.

The 53-year-old Pennsylvania senator previously suffered a stroke in May 2022 shortly before winning his Senate campaign against Dr. Mehmet Oz. While he reported that he was on a full recovery shortly following that incident, it did raise concern over his health.

At the time of his early February hospitalization, spokesperson Joe Calvello issued a statement saying that the senator was "in good spirits and talking with his staff and family." Calvello went on to say that "[i]nitial tests did not show evidence of a new stroke," and that "doctors are running more tests."

John was released from the hospital on Feb. 10 after his doctors ruled out a second stroke.