President Biden issued support Friday for Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., after he checked himself into a Washington, D.C., hospital to be treated for clinical depression this week.
“John, Gisele – Jill and I are thinking about your family today,” Biden wrote in a tweet. “Millions of people struggle with depression every day, often in private. Getting the care you need is brave and important.”
“We’re grateful to you for leading by example,’ the president added.
Reports later on Friday indicate that Fetterman may be in the hospital for several weeks as he receives treatment.
FETTERMAN CHECKS HIMSELF INTO HOSPITAL ‘TO RECEIVE TREATMENT FOR CLINICAL DEPRESSION’
Fetterman’s office released a statement Thursday confirming the senator checked himself into the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Wednesday evening to “receive treatment for clinical depression.”
“While John has experienced depression off and on throughout his life, it only became severe in recent weeks,” Adam Jentleson, Fetterman’s chief of staff, wrote. “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.”
“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,” Jentleson said of Fetterman, who suffered a stroke in May 2022 while on the campaign trail that caused auditory processing issues.
Sen. John Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed hospital Wednesday night to “receive treatment for clinical depression.” (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
DOCTORS REACT AFTER FETTERMAN CHECKS INTO HOSPITAL FOR CLINICAL DEPRESSION
Despite the message from Fetterman’s office, CNN congressional correspondent Manu Raju reported Friday that Fetterman could undergo an extended stay in the hospital and that he has no plans to resign from office.
“Unclear how long Fetterman will stay in hospital, I’m told. Could be a month, maybe shorter,’ Raju wrote in a tweet. “Will take time for him to get right medication, per source. His symptoms were weight loss and lack of appetite, the latter of which contributed to lightheadedness last week, per source.”
“Amid some speculation about his future, Fetterman will not resign his office because of this illness, per source,” he added in a separate tweet. “There have been numerous examples of senators who have been sidelined over the years for a much longer time period, and this is no different, the source added.”
On Thursday, a senior aide to Fetterman, according to NBC News, said the prospect for resignation “was never discussed, not even on the table in any sense.”
Fetterman was hospitalized for three days last week after feeling lightheaded, but returned to the Capitol on Monday after doctors reportedly ruled out another stroke or seizure.
“Hey everyone. It’s great to be back in the Senate. Thank you all for the well wishes – looking forward to getting back to work today,” Fetterman wrote in a tweet earlier this week.
Due to Fetterman’s condition following his stroke, the senator carries around a closed captioning tablet that allows him to communicate with people while at work.
Sen. John Fetterman and his wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, stand during the singing of the National Anthem before Josh Shapiro is sworn in as governor of Pennsylvania on Jan. 17, 2023, in Harrisburg. (Mark Makela/Getty Images)
“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. I’m so proud of him for asking for help and getting the care he needs,” Fetterman’s wife, Gisele Fetterman, wrote in a tweet Thursday.
Fetterman’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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“Per reports, he has struggled with depression throughout his life,” Dr. Daniel Bober, the chief medical officer of Odyssey Behavioral Healthcare in Hollywood, Florida, told Fox News Digital of Fetterman on Thursday. “His recent stroke was a factor in whether he would be elected to the Senate.”
“Depression is common after stroke, affecting approximately one third of stroke survivors at any one time after stroke,” Bober said. “It is possible that this may be a psychological reaction to the stroke, or related to the area where the stroke occurred within the brain.”
Fox News’ Aubrie Spady contributed to this article.
