John Fetterman was sworn into the U.S. Senate 90 days ago Monday, though you’d be forgiven for missing the anniversary: He spent more than half that time in the hospital.
The initial outpouring of support when Fetterman checked himself in (for the second time) was massive. The Washington Post said “we need more brave politicians” just like him. “The View’s” Sunny Hostin predicted his opponents would try to use this against him, but the decision was “brave and courageous.”
The following Tuesday, Politico’s Playbook newsletter reported that Sen. Katie Boyd Britt had sent Fetterman a cookie cake, Sen. Bernie Sanders had sent a fruit basket, and Sen. Tina Smith had “dropped off doughnuts for Fetterman’s staff.”
The next day, Playbook included a Philadelphia Inquirer interview with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who said he hadn’t heard any senior state party members ask for Fetterman to be replaced, but if he did he would “dismiss it immediately.”
For weeks after that: silence. A staff birthday was reported here, a stalled bill there; a Politico piece at the end of February explained how the Democrats’ 50-49 majority meant the vice president could sub in for Fetterman, and with a “quieter Senate … and with no big thorny legislation on the horizon, his party is giving him ample patience.”
The senator “is well on his way to recovery … and will be back soon,” his chief of staff tweeted on March 6, nearly three weeks after he was admitted.
“John will be out soon,”
