At least one former politician who has battled depression is proud of the openness Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) displayed in announcing Thursday he’d admitted himself into a Maryland hospital to seek care for clinical depression. Jason Kander, who once served as Missouri's secretary of state, said Fetterman displayed “awesome leadership” and was “the real deal” for publicly announcing something countless politicians usually keep under wraps. Kander said Fetterman is “FAR from the first senator do this,” but is, “the first to have the stones to announce it.” Fetterman suffered a stroke last year—a common precursor for depression, according to the Cleveland Clinic—and is being treated at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Kander, a veteran, made a similar announcement in 2019 when—against the wishes of some of his closest supporters—he publicly revealed his decade-long battle with depression and PTSD symptoms as he dropped his candidacy to become the mayor of Kansas City.
