Usually, when a person suffers from anything, whether addiction, mental illness, poverty, or a death in the family, those with similar experiences are overly sympathetic to them. Apparently, this is not the case for Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman.
If you remember correctly, Fetterman was hospitalized for two months during his time in office for clinical depression. And that was after suffering from a stroke during his 2022 campaign. So to say he’s had some health challenges is a grave understatement.
You’d think this would make him and his staff more than cognizant of others and their similar experiences in life.
And yet, this week, someone on his team decided it would be a good idea to take a video of a woman suffering a mental breakdown and joke about it to raise money…
The woman, infamously now known as Tiffany Gomas, was videoed on an airplane at the beginning of July, where she appeared to be losing it. One minute she seemed fine, and in the next, she was getting super emotional, claiming something was wrong with the airplane and even saying that one of her fellow passengers was “not real.”
Unfortunately, the episode has since been made into a meme.
Now, to be clear, Gomas has taken accountability for her actions and words, admitting that she was dealing with some mental health issues. She has also vowed that the experience was a “life-altering” one, which she will now use to “promote positive mental health” for herself and others.
But despite her genuine apology and situation, Fetterman’s X account (formerly known as Twitter) posted the meme, using it to claim that a Republican Senate candidate David McCormick somehow isn’t a “real” Pennsylvanian. Subsequently, he suggested that voters should look to McCormick’s challenger and Democrat Senator Bob Casey.
Anyway, donate to @Bob_Casey to keep a true Pennsylvanian in the Senate: https://t.co/tCyZjtWGeT
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 14, 2023
Remember, this is a man who suffered from mental health issues just months ago and needed to be hospitalized for such. And yet, he’s somehow callous enough to use someone else’s similar and lowest moment to support his agenda…
As more than a few social media users noted, that should tell you everything you need to know about Fetterman and his staff.
As someone who recently had mental health issues, you should be more sympathetic to her.
— Jay in Philly (@jay_vaccaro) August 14, 2023
Did you not hear her response? She’s having a mental breakdown and now this video has made her mental health worse! And now here you are, keeping the joke alive. Way to back someone with a mental health issue.
— Marcus Aurelius II (@AntiHarryJ) August 14, 2023
Let's not normalize the mocking of mental illness in memes. Just saying.
— Doug Greig 😷 (@douggreigYYC) August 14, 2023
