Friday’s episode of “Morning Joe” took a somber turn thanks to a snippet of Joe Scarborough’s upcoming interview with Senator John Fetterman. Holding back tears, Fetterman opened up about his recent struggles with depression and emphasized that this was not a partisan issue.
“This isn’t about who’s tough or who’s not,” Senator Fetterman said. “I would just beg men, you’re not too macho. It’s no big deal. The only person you’re really going to hurt more than anyone else is actually your family.”
In mid-February, Senator Fetterman sought treatment for his clinical depression, mere weeks after he won the U.S. Senate election. The Pennsylvania politician said that even though he won, it felt like he had lost.
“That’s what’s so insidious about depression,” Fetterman said. “I laid there and watched this hurt my own children because they were confused because they thought just because you won why aren’t you happy?”
After Fetterman returned to work, he was given a standing ovation at the Democratic caucus meeting. He told Scarborough that he was moved by the love and support he received from Republicans and Democrats alike and said there was no partisanship.
“It’s not a Democratic issue. It’s not a Republican issue. This isn’t a hard right, hard left,” Senator Fetterman said. “This was just a human issue.”
The full interview will premiere Monday, May 8 at 8/7c p.m. on MSNBC. In addition to Fetterman, the “Joe Scarborough Presents” special will feature interviews with “Grey’s Anatomy” creator and super producer Shonda Rhimes and media giant Tyler Perry.
Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski then emphasized how attitudes around mental health have evolved, pointing to Thomas Eagleton. A lawyer and U.S. Senator for Missouri, Eagleton suffered from bouts of depression throughout his life that he kept secret from the public.
When his mental health struggles and hospitalizations were eventually revealed, Eagleton was forced to step down as George McGovern’s vice presidential nominee. The discrimination he faced is a far cry from the resounding support Senator Fetterman has seen regarding his mental health.
“This is something America is living with, and Senator Fetterman was able to go to Walter Reed. We’re all blessed enough that if we or someone we love needs help we can get help,” Scarborough said. “But for so many American the treatment — there’s such a radical disparity in treatment for people of color, if you look at the numbers. For Americans who live in rural America there’s just not the treatment there either.”
