Senator Feinstein was absent for months supposedly fighting shingles. There’s far more to it than Democrats want you to know.
And Dianne Feinstein’s true condition just leaked to the public.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) health problems are worse than previously thought, according to a report published Thursday.
According to The New York Times, Feinstein, 89, is suffering from vision and balance problems, as well as Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a type of facial paralysis caused by shingles that spread to her face and neck.
According to these sources, the senator also acquired encephalitis, which causes brain swelling and can result in issues such as memory loss, language difficulty, confusion, and mood disorders.
When asked about her ailment, Feinstein said it “really has never been diagnosed,” according to CNN’s Manu Raju. “It was a really bad flu,” she allegedly added. “I’m doing better, thank you.”
The senator’s office later verified Feinstein has Ramsay Hunt syndrome and encephalitis, according to the reporter.
“The senator previously disclosed that she had several complications related to her shingles diagnosis. As discussed in the New York Times article, those complications included Ramsay Hunt syndrome and encephalitis,” a Feinstein spokesperson said.
“While the encephalitis resolved itself shortly after she was released from the hospital in March, she continues to have complications from Ramsey Hunt syndrome.”
Feinstein revealed in early March that she had shingles and had spent months healing. The senator returned to Capitol Hill in a wheelchair last week, saying her physicians advised her to work a “lighter schedule” as she recovers.
Feinstein is the Senate’s senior member, and in recent years, some colleagues have expressed concerns about her mental health and capacity to perform the job she has held for decades.
Feinstein, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, left the panel unable to approve some of President Joe Biden’s judicial candidates due to GOP opposition while she was absent. An increasing number of Democrats, notably New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have called for Feinstein’s resignation.
According to CNN’s Raju, Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) stated on Thursday that he was unaware Feinstein had suffered encephalitis.
“You can tell that her right eye is affected by it. My mother went through something similar. It’s really a painful experience,” Durbin added.
People close to Feinstein described seeing her continue to serve in the Senate in her current state as “frightening,” according to The New York Times.
When a reporter inquired about Feinstein’s return, she appeared to forget that she had been absent from Capitol Hill for several weeks.
"How have they felt about you returning?"
FEINSTEIN: "No, I haven't been gone. You should follow the— I haven't been gone. I've been working."
"Working from home is what you're saying?"
FEINSTEIN: "No, I've been here. I've been voting." pic.twitter.com/kGqH3wjZkA
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 18, 2023
Feinstein announced her intention to run for re-election in 2024 in February. Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and Barbara Lee, all prominent House Democrats, have declared campaigns to succeed Feinstein in the Senate.
Earlier in the day on Thursday, POLITICO reported Nancy Corinne Prowda, the eldest child of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), escorting Feinstein about the Capitol, raising the possibility that it was part of an effort to boost Schiff, whom Pelosi has championed.
A Pelosi representative denied the claim, saying Fox News that Corinne and Feinstein “have been friends for decades” and that Corinne has been helping the senator recuperate from shingles.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
