The wife of Democratic Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman says she is “pretty upset” about a reporter sharing her experience talking with her husband.
Gisele Barreto Fetterman discussed the interview during a segment of the “Fast Politics” podcast with Molly Jong-Fast.
The exchange comes after John Fetterman sat down for an interview with NBC News’ Dasha Burns for his first in-person conversation with a reporter since his stroke in May.
Burns has received criticism for sharing that he has “a hard time understanding what he’s hearing.”
She also stated it seemed the Senate hopeful “had a hard time understanding” some small talk that occurred without the use of closed captioning.
When asked how she felt about Burns’ comments, Gisele Fetterman said, “I don’t like saying rage because I think that’s a really unhealthy feeling, and when you feel those things, it only harms yourself.”
“But what a disservice that she did not only to my husband but to anyone facing a disability and working through it, and I don’t know how there were not consequences. I mean, there are consequences for folks in these positions who are any of the isms. I mean, she was ableist. That’s what she was in her interview. It was appalling to the entire disability community, and, I think to journalism. So I was shocked. I’m still pretty upset about it,” she continued.
She went on, “These networks have to take accountability, right? Like, where is your training? It was appalling to see. And you see that in schools, you see that in young children. You don’t expect to see it at this level. And I haven’t heard an apology. It hasn’t come. I’m hopeful that they will reflect and see that they did an incredible disservice to all Americans.”
Listen to her comments below:
In a tweet, Burns defended her decision to share information about Fetterman’s health as she wrote, “It’s possible for two different reporters to have two different experiences [with] a candidate. Our team was in the room [with] him [and] reported what happened in it, as journalists do. Before [and] after closed captioning was on.”
“We were happy to accommodate closed captioning. Our reporting did not and should not comment on fitness for office. This is for voters to decide. What we do push for as reporters is transparency. It’s our job. Fetterman sat down and answered our questions. That’s his job,” she added.
We were happy to accommodate closed captioning. Our reporting did not and should not comment on fitness for office. This is for voters to decide. What we do push for as reporters is transparency. It’s our job. Fetterman sat down and answered our questions. That’s his job. https://t.co/gFZ02hlUs5
— Dasha Burns (@DashaBurns) October 12, 2022
If there was some understanding the conversation without the closed captioning was not supposed to be mentioned or if the conversation was off the record, that would be one thing.
But neither Fetterman nor his wife have indicated that is the case.
If a candidate is using technology during interviews to help him understand speech in interviews conducted via a video call, it can give the impression his health is better than it actually is.
And if the closed captioning used during interviews conducted through video calls is suggesting Fetterman has made more improvement than he actually has, that is something Pennsylvania voters deserve to know.
But the ire being directed at Burns for sharing what she experienced as the first journalist to sit down with him in person after his stroke is bizarre.
