NBC Reporter’s comments about Fetterman draw criticism

But a comment by reporter Dasha Burns that Fetterman appeared to be having trouble understanding pre-interview chit-chat caught the attention, and Republicans retweeted it, saying, Closely on the Senate Election Between Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz.

Fetterman, Democrat, had a stroke May 13, and his health has emerged as a major issue in campaign.

Burns’ Friday interview with Fetterman, which aired Tuesday, was his first on-camera interview since his stroke. I used a closed captioning device.

Fetterman seemed to have little trouble answering the question after reading it, but NBC indicated he fumbled with the word “empathetic.” Burns said that when the captioning device was turned off, “it wasn’t clear whether he understood our conversation.”

“This is nonsense,” said Kara Swisher, a business reporter and podcaster who suffered a stroke in 2011. “Maybe this reporter just doesn’t like small talk.”

Swisher recently gave an interview with Fetterman on her podcast and said: Everyone can judge for themselves. Swisher calls the attack on Fetterman “terrifying” because of his health.

Rebecca Traister, a New York magazine reporter who interviewed the candidate for a cover story titled “Jon Fetterman’s Vulnerability,” said, “His comprehension is absolutely unimpaired. He understands everything.” He just reads it and responds in real time…it’s a hearing/hearing challenge.”

Burns said he understands that different reporters have different experiences with Fetterman.

“Our report does not, and should not, comment on suitability for office,” Barnes said Wednesday. “This is for voters to decide. It’s sex, and that’s what we do.”

Stories from interviews aired on NBC Nightly News and Today.

Fetterman, 53, has remained silent about releasing medical records and allowing reporters to ask doctors questions. June’s letter from his cardiologistHe said that if he eats healthy foods, takes prescribed medicines, and exercises, he can stay fit and become a senator.

Problems with understanding and using language are common in recovering stroke victims, says Kevin Sheth, director of Yale University’s Center for Brain and Mental Health. Some, he said, continue to be disabled.

“There are arcs in the recovery trajectory that vary from person to person,” Sheth said.

However, he cautioned that no judgment should be made about Fetterman’s condition based on his use of a speech aid without examination.

Burns’ statement about Fetterman has already been tweeted by political opponents, including the National Republican Senate Committee and the Republican National Committee.

conservative website Townhall.com tweeted Burns’ words, but did not clarify that she was referring to the chat, not the interview itself.

Doug Andress, the press secretary for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, tweeted that it was strange to see a liberal attacking a reporter for doing his job.

“Respecting and trusting the media is like being true only when it’s convenient for them,” he wrote.

Swisher said on the podcast that her Pennsylvania resident mother told her that Fetterman shouldn’t be a senator after he had a stroke.

Swisher said the podcast’s producers refrained from cleaning up Mr. Fetterman’s interview, removing irrelevant phrases such as “hmm” and “I know,” for example, so listeners would not want to hear Mr. Fetterman ask a question. I was able to get a candid view of how I responded to the

On the podcast, Fetterman had little trouble with the word “empathy.”

“Listen to the interview,” Swisher tweeted this week. She said, “Even though she’s a fanatical Republican mother, she had to admit she was wrong.”

AP correspondent Mark Levy of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania contributed to this report.