Dr. Mehmet Oz has spent the past week defending himself against accusations that he is hopelessly out of touch with most residents of Pennsylvania, where he is the Republican candidate for Senate. Last Monday, John Fetterman, Oz’s Democratic opponent, resurfaced a video of Oz recording at what he called “Wegners” — a mish-mash of the Redner’s and Wegmans grocery chains — shopping for “crudité” and complaining about inflation . Fetterman’s comment: “in PA, we call it a vegetable tray.” In an exclusive statement as part of Insider’s Oz investigation, the doctor’s campaign hit back. “If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn’t have had a major stroke and he wouldn’t have been able to lie about it all the time,” said Rachel Tripp, Oz’s senior communications adviser. . The Veggie Wars represent the latest drama in the Oz-Fetterman rivalry, which has attracted a lot of attention. Not only is the race expected to be close, but it has the potential to tip the scales in Washington. It can also be seen as a referendum on Donald Trump, who endorsed Oz early on over fellow Republican David McCormick. (McCormick’s wife, Dina Powell, served in the Trump administration.) After Oz’s dumb mistake, as well as another clash with Fetterman over how many homes he owns — Oz said he has two. he actually has 10 — Trump reportedly told two of his confidantes that Oz will “lose” unless something changes in the race. (The Trump campaign denied this to Rolling Stone.) While these gaffes may be a testament to Oz’s political novice, people who have known the 62-year-old for a long time told Insider that he always saw himself as destined for greatness. Over the course of his career, he has engineered a number of conversations: from running a groundbreaking medical center to gaining press attention, from the press to a best-selling book and appearances on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and from Oprah to his own media. empire, many business and board positions, and a place in virtually every American heart and mind. “I think part of the reason he came on TV was to raise his profile so he could go into politics at some point,” said one person who attended the launch of “The Dr. Oz Show’ as part of Insider’s recent investigation into the doctor. “He’s definitely the type of person who will do whatever it takes to get what he wants.” Read how Dr. Oz’s lifelong obsession with power led to his run in Pennsylvania.
