Pennsylvania Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman's left-wing policy platforms are somewhat shrouded behind his working-class hoodie-wearing image as he campaigns to replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., Lara Trump and Arkansas gubernatorial candidate Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Fox News on Tuesday.
Fetterman, who suffered a serious stroke earlier this year, returned the campaign trail at a pro-steelworkers event in Pittsburgh but reportedly has yet to accept a debate invitation from Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz.
On "Hannity," host Sean Hannity wished Fetterman a full recovery from his stroke, but accused the Democrat of employing President Biden's 2020 campaign tactic of stumping from his basement and letting the mainstream media "run defense" for him, asking Trump what she thought of that concept.
"It certainly did not work out well for Americans" in Biden's case, Trump replied. "Whenever you have somebody able to hide away, not answer questions, campaign out of a basement… pay attention, America, because this is what the Democrats want," she said.
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Trump called video from Fetterman's Pittsburgh event - where he appeared to pause multiple times and occasionally grasp for the proper word – "very concerning" both medically and politically.
"I truly hope that he gets the help that he needs. But Sarah [Huckabee Sanders] is exactly right… these are the kind of people that they want elected and representing you in Washington, D.C. if they get their way. And with 75% of Americans right now saying that we are on the wrong track as a country."
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"We cannot afford to have anyone close to [Fetterman] representing Pennsylvania or any other state in the Senate right now. Things are so bad in America. And gosh, isn't it so insulting to see the Democrats and Joe Biden come out and tell us what a great job they've all done, that they have made our lives better."
Huckabee Sanders called it "absurd" to see Fetterman as the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, tying the 53-year-old's politics to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. – whom the lieutenant governor endorsed in a prior race.
In response to previous reported criticism, Hannity added that he continues to hold an open invitation to Fetterman to appear on "Hannity" or "The Sean Hannity Show" on radio for as long as he'd like, after the host claimed the candidate "never had a real job in his life."
Hannity cited a New York Post report that Fetterman received financial assistance from his parents until his late 40s and that he purchased his Braddock, Pa., home for $1 from his sister.
A former mayor of that Pittsburgh-area suburb, Fetterman defended his record in a message to the Post reporter:
"Look, I’m proud of my upbringing … I was on the path to be a successful businessman but I changed paths and have dedicated my life to fighting for forgotten communities."
Fetterman and Oz have traded barbs on social media over their socioeconomic stature, with Fetterman poking fun at Oz's lamentations about the inflated cost of vegetables at Wegmans to make the dish "crudite" – adding Pennsylvanians simply call it a "veggie tray."
On Oz's part, he separately responded to a Fetterman critique about him purportedly miscounting the number of houses he owns by saying, "I purchased my houses with ‘MY’ money. You lived off your parents until you were almost 50."
In the gubernatorial race, retired Army colonel and GOP State Sen. Doug Mastriano is facing off with Pennsylvania Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
