Overview
- Unfettered, published Nov. 11, recounts his May 2022 stroke, heart stopping during surgery, weeks of near deafness, and his private Aug. 15 withdrawal deadline he ultimately disregarded before defeating Mehmet Oz by more than 260,000 votes.
- He calls his Oct. 25, 2022 debate a "disaster" and writes that the fallout left him suicidal for months until a February 2023 hospitalization at Walter Reed, where he was diagnosed with severe depression and spent 44 days in inpatient care.
- Fetterman describes rebuilding ties with his family during treatment—including a first positive visit over Wendy’s at the hospital—and says he still sometimes thinks about suicide but urges others with depression to "stay in this game."
- Coverage highlights a striking shift in tone from some past critics at Fox News, with hosts expressing sympathy during his book tour after years of deriding his fitness to serve.
- The rollout intersects with his recent breaks from many Democrats, as he defends voting with Republicans to end the government shutdown and maintains strongly pro-Israel positions while brushing off intraparty pressure on shows like The View.