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Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has been in the hospital now for weeks undergoing treatment for depression and since then, nobody has heard much from him. As suspicions about his health rise, his team is starting to panic. Now, his team has released photos of the Democrat in the hospital to try and prove that he is at least alive and somewhat well.

The office of Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) released pictures of him at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday, and an aide said he would be “back soon” in the first update on his condition nearly three weeks after he was admitted to the hospital for treatment of depression.

In the photos, Fetterman is seated at a hospital table looking over documents with his chief of staff, Adam Jentleson.

Jentleson tweeted, “Productive morning with Senator Fetterman at Walter Reed discussing the rail safety legislation, Farm Bill and other Senate business. John is well on his way to recovery and wanted me to say how grateful he is for all the well wishes. He’s laser focused on PA & will be back soon.”

In February, the senator checked himself into Walter Reed Hospital for clinical depression treatment shortly after being hospitalized for lightheadedness at George Washington University Hospital. Since then, he has been hospitalized without any updates about his return to the Senate.

A tweet from the senator’s wife said her husband “continues to challenge the conversation” because “society’s expectations and traditional gender roles contribute to why men are less likely to seek help for their mental health.”

The photos of Fetterman in the hospital follow last week’s concern from the public regarding his ability to complete tasks such as sponsoring legislation during his time in the hospital.

Despite being hospitalized for clinical depression, Fetterman co-sponsored rail safety legislation last week. In addition to the most recent bill, Fetterman cosponsored four others during his hospital stay.

Last week on Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported that “U.S.  Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman of Pa. have joined a bipartisan group of senators to introduce legislation aimed at preventing future freight train derailments like the one last month in East Palestine, Ohio.“

This led to many people questioning how Fetterman could perform such duties while undergoing treatment for clinical depression. 

The Washington County Republican Party in Pennsylvania even asked him to appear on camera to prove that he is “alive and well” or resign.

As speculation has risen over Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania’s health, his team has taken to publishing pictures of him in the hospital in order to prove he is at least alive and doing “well.” It is not a surprise, or even unjustified, that many have questioned whether he is able to do the job he was elected to do while in treatment for his depression. The reality certainly appears to be that not only is he not able to fulfill his expectations as senator, but he should not be put under any external pressure as such when facing this internal battle with his mental health. Senator Fetterman needs to resign and focus on himself and give himself what he requires most right now – appropriate rest and care away from the public eye.

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