On Monday, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) returned to Capitol Hill after a two-month stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he was treated for clinical depression.

For his long-awaited return to the public, Fetterman adorned his usual attire of a sloppy oversized sweatshirt and athletic shorts. Since entering into the care of the medical facility, Republicans have been asking for Fetterman to appear in public to prove he is “alive and well” or resign.

Speaking to the reporters at the Capitol, Fetterman kept his comments brief, saying, “It’s great to be back. Thank you.”

Still unable to process speech since his stroke last May, Fetterman did not engage with any other press or answer any other questions.

In May 2022, Fetterman suffered a stroke which led to severe cognitive issues including auditory processing impairments.

In February, the Senator checked himself into a hospital to be treated for “clinical depression.”

Fetterman’s chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, issued a statement about the hospitalization, saying, “While John has experienced depression off and on throughout his life, it only became severe in recent weeks.”

In an emotional interview after Fetterman’s discharge from Walter Reed, the Senator spoke with CBS’s Jane Pauley about his struggles with depression.

“I had stopped leaving my bed,” said Fetterman. “I had stopped eating. I was dropping weight. I had stopped engaging some of the – most things that I love in my life.”

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