Donald Trump surprised and frustrated his right-wing base when he endorsed liberal TV celebrity “Dr. Oz” in his U.S. Senate run, and a conservative activist from the state says she is among those concluding the former president made a huge mistake.
The retirement of Sen. Pat Toomey has set up a GOP primary that includes daytime TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz as well as wealthy hedge fund CEO David McCormick; real estate developer Jeff Bartos; George Bochetto; military veteran Kathy Barnette; Sean Gale; and former California resident Carla Sands.
According to a compilation of polls at RealClearPolitics, McCormick is the choice of Pennsylvania voters with a single-digit lead, but he and Oz are spending millions of dollars in the neck-and-neck race. The primary is May 17.
Diane Gramley, president of the American Family Association of Pennsylvania, tells AFN that Trump made a “big error” by endorsing the well-known “Dr. Oz” over several other Republicans.
“Dr. Oz is not pro-life. He is not pro-Second Amendment,” she complains. “He’s not pro-everything that we are as true conservatives. So I know President Trump made a big error in endorsing Dr. Oz.”
Trump’s surprise endorsement of the TV doctor came after conservatives had already exposed Oz on numerous hot-button issues: Suggesting there is “systemic racism” in medical treatment for minorities, which is a tenet of Critical Race Theory; defending surgery for transgender children; and praising China’s brutal lockdown of its own people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have to copy what they did,” Oz said in an NBC News interview. “Take their blueprint and repeat it here in this country.”
Back in May of 2021, almost a year ago, Oz lectured talk show host Wendy Williams about getting the COVID-19 vaccine when he asked her in a live TV interview. She said flatly she didn’t trust it.
“What you say and believe is so important to a lot of people,” he pressed. “Millions and millions of Americas are going to say, Wendy Williams didn’t get a vaccine so I don’t want to get a vaccine.”
According to Gramley, voters should avoid supporting GOP frontrunner McCormick because of his millions of dollars in hedge fund investments that she says are closely tied to China and its communist government.
Among the candidates left on the ballot, Gramley says she will vote for Kathy Barnette, a Fox News commentator, author, and former U.S. Army veteran.
“Barnette is, to me, the only true proven conservative,” Gramley insists, “and she’s travelling the commonwealth to meet the people, shake hands.”
Among the Democrats, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has a double-digit lead in the Democratic primary.
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Copyright American Family News. Reprinted with permission.
When I first saw that Dr. O(d)z was running I knew I was not going to be voting for him since he never was part of the local political scene, I also don’t watch or listen to his shows. This made me very disappointed when the endorsement came down. I hear he has a residence in the eastern part of the state, I live in the western part. I haven’t made a choice yet but he’s definitely not in my consideration.
Hi joe23006. I also live in western PA. No Republicans that I’ve talked to have any interest in Oz. His poll numbers must be as big as they are thanks to the Philly “Republicans”.
Other observations. a) not seeing any TV ads out here for anyone besides Oz and McCormack. b) it’s a shame that none of the PA Republican House members stepped up and ran for this seat – annoying to see so many carpetbaggers flocking to this race! c) God help us if that doofus Fetterman wins.
Trump CERTAINLY made a big foobo, endorsing this dude…
Surprising that Trump is choosing to sell the sizzle and name recognition over the Basic Conservative values. My greatest fear is that Oz will become the Pennsylvanian version of Mitt Romney, or an image of the several miss-nominated Supreme Court Justices who claimed Conservative credentials before the selection only to be revealed basic core liberal values in actual governance. When it came to defending the Constitution as an immovable document many finally admitted they considered it living and changeable, just like their changeable truths declared in order to get elected. Bear in mind however that Trump himself as well as Ronald Reagan were at one time Democrats. When your leadership comes from the land of Oz we need re-educated Scarecrows who finally got a Brain, not slobbering emotional Tin Men who rule from the heart. More Justice, with tempered mercy after repentance, not all-out reprieves handed out from fake repentance for past mistakes that we are supposed to pretend never happened, and continue to happen once in office.
I wonder, if its because he’s a fellow TV personality..