Donald Trump Jr. mocked Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman as “brain dead” on Sunday when he took the stage in Miami at his father’s Make America Great Again rally.
This is the third rally the former president has held in three days and his penultimate before the controversial midterm elections on Tuesday, November 8.
During his warm-up remarks, Donald Jr. attacked Democrats for rising crime rates across the country, including Fetterman for his term as mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania.
Like many Republicans, he also suggested that Fetterman was unsuitable for the senatorship because of the auditory processing and speech issues he had left after suffering a stroke in May.
“Democrats want to free violent offenders,” Donald Jr. said, including “John Fetterman, the would-be brain-dead senator from Pennsylvania.”
The crowd outside the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition Center booed the progressive populist’s name.
Junior later returned to his comments about Fetterman: “We have to get over the nonsense to talk about what we’re up against. I mean, I used Fetterman’s example earlier.
He referred to similar comments he made in late October.
“I believe if you’re going to be a United States senator, you should have basic cognitive function,” Donald Jr. said.
Donald Trump Jr. took the stage at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition Center before his father’s headlining speech
He said the media called him “capable” for making fun of Fetterman, who he defined as “racist against people with disabilities.”
“The media, they’re chasing me, they say he’s disabled, which means he’s being racist against people with disabilities.”
He continued, “It’s not like he’s in a wheelchair, and he can think, but he can’t form a sentence.”
It comes after Fetterman accidentally said he was against abortion at a Saturday rally in Philadelphia.
‘I run on Roe v. Wade. I Celebrate the Demise of Roe v. Wade,” the Pennsylvania lieutenant governor said.
Donald Jr. referenced the incident at his rally, saying, “They’ll put it in there to vote, but Chuck Schumer will tell him.” You don’t have to think, you just have to be able to, like, introduce yourself and, like, raise your hand.
“And his comments on Roe v Wade yesterday can’t even seem to do it right,” he said.
“We are faced today with a Democratic party that does not believe that a United States senator should not have porridge for the brain.”
Fetterman, who takes on famed doctor Dr. Mehmet Oz, may have been trying to say his opponent “celebrates the demise of Roe v. Wade”.
Fetterman and his Republican rival were neck and neck in the hard-fought race, but his performance in public speaking raised concerns after a number of mixed responses, much of which was blamed on his recovery after his stroke.
John Fetterman appeared to speak poorly as he said he was ‘celebrating the passing of Roe V Wade’ during an address to voters on Saturday night
Fetterman appeared alongside Barack Obama, Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro and President Biden
‘I run on Roe v. Wade. I Celebrate the Demise of Roe v. Wade.’ he could be heard saying on camera, while holding a microphone in his hand
Fetterman at the campaign rally held at Temple University Liacouras Center in Philadelphia
Last week, Oz for the first time passed John Fetterman in the polls just days before the midterms and a week after their debate where the lingering effects of his Democratic rival’s attack were on full display.
The two-point gap — 48% to 46% — continues a steady improvement for Oz, whose support among likely Pennsylvania voters has risen 5 percentage points since September, according to a Hill/Emerson College poll.
The Real Clear Politics polling average gives Oz a lead of just 0.1% and should win – even if the margins are the tightest then.
It also reflects a national trend as Republicans rise in the polls, with some matching or surpassing their Democratic opponents in the days leading up to the election after months of delay.
Meanwhile, Fetterman’s support is up just 1% from the September poll compared to the one taken Oct. 28-31. The split between the two candidates is within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Consistently, this particular poll showed the 53-year-old Fetterman ahead of the 62-year-old Oz.
A televised debate last month shocked some viewers and only raised further concerns about his ability to hold political office.
“Hi, good night everyone,” Fetterman said before addressing his health. “Let’s also talk about the elephant in the room: I had a stroke. [Oz] never let me forget it.
At one point, Fetterman was asked to clarify his position on fracking, as moderators pointed to a 2018 interview where the lieutenant governor expressed broad opposition to the practice, but not a ban.
“I support fracking – I don’t, I don’t – I support fracking, and I support fracking,” he replied to voters’ sheer confusion.
During the debate, Fetterman twice refused to release his full medical records to the public.
“My doctor finally thinks I’m fit to serve and that’s what I believe,” Fetterman said.
New Hill/Emerson College poll shows Dr Mehmet Oz ahead of Democratic rival John Fetterman for the first time – with just five days until the 2022 midterms
Republican hopeful Dr Mehmet Oz took part in the Pennsylvania Senate debate last month
Democratic Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman (left) debated Republican Dr Mehmet Oz (right) last month
It had previously been revealed how Fetterman used massive screens on the floor to help deliver his message
Former President Barack Obama (left) and President Joe Biden (right) walk on stage together in Philadelphia during a rally for Democrats John Fetterman and Josh Shapiro.
At Saturday’s rally in Philadelphia, (L to R): Gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro, former President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden and Senate hopeful Lt. Governor John Fetterman
Ahead of the debate, Fetterman’s campaign had tempered expectations, saying there would be “awkward pauses” and “delays and errors” as the Democrat would read closed captions due to his auditory processing problem.
Asked about small business owners who are worried about raising the minimum wage, he said: “We all need to make sure that everyone who works is able to – this is the most American market, that if you work full time, you should be able to live with dignity is true.
“We can’t make companies subsidized by not paying individuals who just can’t escape to pay their own way,” he said.
A day later, Fetterman gave a 13-minute speech in Pittsburgh as his campaign tried to downplay Tuesday’s performance, saying Fetterman had always sucked during debates and that the captioning system he used as help was faulty.
