If there’s one thing John Fetterman really doesn’t want to talk about — well, besides the fact that he should absolutely not be a candidate for any kind of political office — it’s his history of racist behavior. Like, say, the time when he, as the Mayor of Braddock and armed with a shotgun, chased down a black jogger.
Reporter Dave Weigel recently interviewed Fetterman (over Google Meet, of course) and the subject of the black jogger came up:
WEIGEL: Republicans are running ads about you chasing down a Black jogger at a crime scene in 2013. We talked about this during the primary; knew that was coming. You’ve talked about it before, but how should someone think about that incident and how you respond to crime?
FETTERMAN: They’ve been trying to weaponize [that] every time I’ve run statewide. The voters in Braddock, as you know – we were subsequently elected to Mayor for two more terms. That was vetted and made a part of the conversation for lieutenant governor, and then very, very much part of the conversation in the Democratic primary. And we won all 67 counties. So I believe that a majority of voters all understand that situation. And we all can agree that that was a decision, a split-second decision in the face of gunfire and making sure that the community is protected, safe.
WEIGEL: Because of that incident, do you feel that you can understand a police officer who makes a mistake – acts aggressively, apprehends somebody who didn’t commit a crime?
FETTERMAN: Of course. It’s not ever been about, you know, being hard on the police. It’s just being understood that it was my split-second decision as the chief law enforcement official to act in the defense of public safety.
And that’s the extent of the discussion about the black jogger. So there you go.
We, however, feel like there’s a lot more that should have been said before Weigel changed the subject. Like, for example, the fact that Fetterman not only defends his actions but is lying in order to justify them:
In interview with @daveweigel, Fetterman again says his political opponents have "weaponized" the unarmed black jogger incident. He again does not apologize, and claims he was responding to gunfire (the jogger was unarmed) https://t.co/LeOu6ltEnI pic.twitter.com/K3lsyebRX4
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) October 18, 2022
“In the face of gunfire,” you say?
"in the face of gunfire" https://t.co/fdLmBR8Dx0
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 18, 2022
In the face of gunfire from … where, exactly? The jogger was unarmed. Was there another jogger with a gun hiding behind the unarmed jogger or something?
It was not in the face of gunfire. He’s a racist and a liar. https://t.co/ZD5YG9Tgbn
— Nick (@StolteNick) October 18, 2022
“In the face of gunfire.”
Narrator: There was, indeed, no gunfire at all.
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) October 18, 2022
Dave Weigel could very easily have assumed narrator duties in that interview and reminded Fetterman that there was no gunfire and no apparent threat to public safety. But Weigel didn’t do that.
Fetterman claims there was gunfire. There wasn't. Weigel doesn't call him out on that lie because…
…this is a choice he is making. He is playing for a team. https://t.co/Ek3hj0Hinm
— Nathan Wurtzel (@NathanWurtzel) October 18, 2022
We see you, Dave Weigel.
I love the softball question by Weigel. Almost apologizing for asking and blaming Republicans for making it an issue.
He is capable of better. This is a choice. https://t.co/Ek3hj0qflm
— Nathan Wurtzel (@NathanWurtzel) October 18, 2022
It is indeed a choice. And Weigel has chosen poorly.
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Related:
Some libs are pretty angry at CNN for honestly covering a huge John Fetterman about-face
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