Republican Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Oz is appearing to suggest his Democratic contender might be replaced if he wins the election in November.
During an interview on the “Hugh Hewitt Show,” Oz addressed concerns about Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s (D) health.
“This is not about me or him. It’s about the voters,” he said. “They have a right to know what’s going on in his body so they can tell if his wife is right or not. Is he going to be the senator or is she going to be the senator?”
He went on, “And these are topics that he has continually ducked. The NBC interview he did last week was awkward for a lot of folks who had not really seen what it is like for him to recover, or what his current condition was cause he’s hidden it.”
Listen to his comments below:
Pennsylvania GOP Senate nominee Dr. Oz takes takes the moral low ground and questions if John Fetterman’s (D) wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, might be the senator if Fetterman is elected. pic.twitter.com/evPe9sPG2X
— The Recount (@therecount) October 19, 2022
Earlier this year, Fetterman was sidelined from the campaign for three months after he suffered a stroke.
And questions about his health have become a focus in the race in recent weeks.
However, his primary care physician, Clifford Chen, released a detailed medical report, provided to The Philidelphia Inquirer Tuesday, after he examined Fetterman. Chen said in the report the candidate’s “lung exam was clear, heart rate was regular and his strength was normal in all four extremities without any strength or coordination deficits.”
Chen added Fetterman “spoke intelligently without cognitive deficit.” And while he is still showing symptoms of auditory processing disorder, the Senate hopeful’s “communication is significantly improved compared to his first visit, assisted by speech therapy, which he has attended on a regular basis since the stroke.”
His comments this week are not the first time Oz has taken the low road regarding Fetterman.
In August, Oz’s senior communications aide Rachel Tripp issued an “exclusive statement” to Business Insider that included a gross attack on Fetterman’s health.
“If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn’t have had a major stroke and wouldn’t be in the position of having to lie about it constantly,” Tripp said.
Tripp tweeted a link to the story with her statement and the caption, “An [apple] a day…”
An 🍎 a day… https://t.co/0PPpM6V9Gq
— Rachel Tripp (@retripp) August 23, 2022
It is one thing to question if Fetterman can understand speech and whether he is fit to serve as a senator. It’s another to suggest he would not make it as a senator and need to be replaced or to just attack his health.
And it would be better for them if they would at least try to look like they were taking the high road, and stayed away from such comments.
Having a medical professional and their campaign kicking someone while they’re down because of a medical incident is not a good look.
Oz and his campaign have plenty to attack Fetterman based on his policy positions aside from his health.