ADVERTISEMENT

Schumer: Fetterman's Dismal Debate Performance 'Didn't Hurt Us Too Much'

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) / Getty Images
October 27, 2022

Caught on a hot mic Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) told President Joe Biden that Democratic candidate John Fetterman's performance in the Pennsylvania Senate debate "didn't hurt us too much."

The comment comes as Fetterman's performance Tuesday night, which included frequent bumbled statements, left Democrats struggling to cast it in a positive light. A post-debate poll conducted by local Pennsylvania channel WPXI shows that 82 percent of respondents thought Republican candidate Mehmet Oz won.

Oz on Thursday offered a rematch debate to Fetterman, whose campaign complained about the venue's closed captioning system.

Schumer also said that "we are picking up steam in Nevada," where Democratic incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto is up just half a percentage point, according to recent polling.

The majority leader also said that Democrats are "in danger" in an unspecified congressional race. Schumer could have been referring to the Arizona Senate race, where Republican Blake Masters is now tied with incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly.