Pennsylvanians alarmed at Fetterman's debate performance, say it was 'unfair' to hold event after voting began
Voters react to Fetterman's debate against Dr. Oz in interviews with Lawrence Jones
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Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman struggled in Tuesday's debate with GOP candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz, prompting more questions about the Democrat's health and whether he can serve in the Senate.
"Fox & Friends" enterprise reporter Lawrence Jones spoke with Pennsylvania residents at the Exeter Family Restaurant in Reading, as many expressed their concern over Fetterman's ability to represent their state after suffering a stroke over the summer.
"The guy can't function," one man said. "I feel sorry for him, but there should have been a better person as far as picking for Senate running on the Democratic side."
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"There's better people that could be more equipped," the man added, while another said Fetterman should resign immediately from his current office.
"I thought he gave his best performance, but I would be hard-pressed to want to vote for him because he's got to represent the state of Pennsylvania," another man said.
Many voters also expressed frustration over the timing of the debate with hundreds of early voters having already cast their vote prior to watching Fetterman's performance.
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"It's unfair because people didn't see how effective he was," one voter told Lawrence Jones. "Realistically, if you see him represent you as far as your state goes, that's insane."
Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman participates in a debate with his GOP challenger Dr. Mehmet Oz on October 25, 2022 in Harrisburg, PA. (NewsNation)
"It was very unfortunate because we need to have strong leaders in government, and we have to have somebody who is cognitively, functionally well," another woman said.
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Another man said it's "unfair" that early voting started before people got to watch Fetterman in a debate.
Voters shared that crime and the economy are crucial issues that are driving them to the polls.
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"Philadelphia's unsafe. Neighborhoods are unsafe. We need to address that," another man said.
Crime in the state and big cities like Philadelphia have seen a spike in violent crime since 2020, with many voters concerned for their safety.
"The only thing that matters to me now is security," one man told Jones. "I see it as a family man, you know, and that's what this Commonwealth is about, it's family."
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Like other parts of the country, Pennsylvania has been a victim of rising costs due to record-high inflation.
"You talk about people that live from paycheck to paycheck," one woman said. "Some of us live day to day for money, you know, and it's hard."
FETTERMAN, OZ SPAR OVER CRIME, ECONOMY AND ABORTION IN HEATED PENNSYLVANIA SENATE DEBATE
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"Rates have almost doubled for the first-time homebuyer," a man who works in real estate said. "And it's made it difficult to afford the American dream."
"The Democrats are completely out of touch with what's going on in middle America. And that's why we need a change," another woman said.
In addition to Fetterman's health, Dr. Oz has called out his opponent's record on crime and his association with Democrats' economic policies to show himself as the candidate to restore public safety and bring down costs.
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"Our people in charge right now [are responsible]," one woman said concerning crime and the economy. "It wasn't like that before this. It wasn't like that before Biden took over.
"We need to get Republicans into office because they have the policies that are going to help us as middle-income families," another woman told Jones.