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What Next - When Politicians Need Mental Healthcare

Slate Daily Feed

Slate

News, Society & Culture, Business

3.91.1K Ratings

🗓️ 28 February 2023

⏱️ 27 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When John Fetterman checked himself into a hospital for clinical depression in mid-February, he was praised by both parties and public health officials for his bravery. But not long ago, being diagnosed with depression or taking time for your mental health were seen as disqualifying for those seeking public office. 


Guest: Jason Kander, President of National Expansion at Veterans Community Project, author of Invisible Storm: A Soldier's Memoir of Politics and PTSD, and co-host of Crooked Media’s podcast Majority 54.


If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.


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Transcript

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0:56.5

All right, on with a show. Hey everyone, just a heads up that this episode discusses mental health

1:03.3

and suicidal ideation. Take care, while you give it a listen.

1:12.2

I called up Jason Kander, mostly because I wanted to talk to him about this tweet that it sent.

1:19.1

He posted it on February 16th. At the time, Senator John Federman

1:23.7

had just announced he was checking himself into Walter Reed for inpatient treatment of his

1:28.9

depression. Jason told his 300,000 or so followers. John Federman is far from the first Senator

1:37.6

to do this, but he's the first to have the stones to announce it.

1:45.7

This tweet begs a follow-up question.

1:49.4

So the thought was obvious to me, but I guess I'll start with the claim that I'm making,

1:58.0

which is by the way pure speculation, but I'm sure I'm right. The chances that he's the only

2:03.3

one dealing with something like this right now in the Senate are just about zero.

2:10.7

For Jason, this knowledge is hard earned. He himself ran for Senate in an attempt to flip a

...

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