A Look Back At The Time Dr. Oz Ran For Senate In Pennsylvania

Donald Trump seems to have a thing for people who spread health and medical misinformation. He's appointed RFK Jr. as the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services even though he's a well-known conspiracy theorist, anti-vaxxer, and peddler of misinformation. Therefore, out of the president-elect's many controversial cabinet picks, the famous (or should we say infamous?) Dr. Mehmet Oz didn't come as much of a surprise. Trump appointed the famous doctor to oversee the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, claiming he'll "fight to ensure everyone in America receives the best possible healthcare" (via CNN). So, for everyone who's been wondering what Oz has been up to since ending his show, there's your answer.

Aside from his popular talk show, most might remember Oz for passionately encouraging U.S. citizens to take the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to fight COVID-19 infections during the pandemic (research shows it has no effect on the virus and comes with dangerous side effects). It later came to light that he pushed the drug because he had a financial stake in it. Now, as a member of Trump's administration, Oz will have an even bigger platform to spread misinformation. Astoundingly enough, this is not Oz's first political rodeo. Some Pennsylvanians might still remember his failed bid for Senate in 2022.

Oz announced his bid in November 2021, basing his campaign on what he called Washington's failed attempts to protect citizens from the pandemic. "They took away our freedom without making us safer and tried to kill our spirit and our dignity," Oz claimed in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter. Members of the Republican Party welcomed Ozs decision to throw his hat into the ring. "He's an incredible American success story. I think he'll be competitive on day one. And the Republican Party is growing in the right way," Senator Lindsey Graham told NBC News at the time.

Dr. Mehmet Oz might have been quite adept at turning on the charm for the cameras on "The Dr. Oz Show," but he did not have the same savvy when it came to social media, which gave his Democratic opponent, John Fetterman, the upper hand throughout most of the Senate campaign.

Try as he might, Oz simply didn't possess the same natural wit Fetterman seemed to have in spades. The former talk show host faced plenty of obstacles throughout his campaign, with many criticizing him for running in Pennsylvania when he wasn't born there. Fetterman took advantage of this, painting Oz as a typical tourist, and the opportunity to do so was literally handed to him when Oz visited Pat's and Geno's, the ultimate tourist spot in Pennsylvania. He posted some snaps of himself at the cheesesteak restaurant on X, writing, "South Philly is ready for a Dose of Reality! Biden's record-breaking inflation is making it harder for businesses like both Pat's and Geno's to stay afloat." Fetterman reposted the tweet, writing, "Ah yes, the trip to Pats + Geno's — a rite of passage for every tourist."

Many jabs like these followed in the months leading up to the election. One that was particularly funny was a tweet from Oz showcasing some bad design and photoshop of Fetterman with Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent. The caption on the image reads, "Best Friends." Fetterman replied to the tweet with a badly designed image of his own, with the words "graphic design is my passion" written in Comic Sans across a rainbow background with a cartoon of a cat in the bottom right corner. Needless to say, pundits had to get their popcorn out whenever these two got involved in a social media back-and-forth.

One of the things that kept haunting Dr. Mehmet Oz during his campaign was that he was not born and bred in Pennsylvania, while his Democratic opponent, John Fetterman, was. Oz was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and, after living in Pennsylvania for a brief time during his studies, made his home in Northern New Jersey. Fetterman, of course, used this to his own campaign's advantage, painting Oz as someone who was out of touch with the struggles of the Pennsylvanian people. Fetterman even went as far as to get TV personality Snooki to help him bring his point home. The latter filmed a tongue-in-cheek video reminding Oz where he comes from, telling him that "Jersey loves you." Snooki told the controversial doctor that he needn't feel too homesick because she believed he'd be back where he belongs soon. Fetterman shared the video on X with the caption, "Hey [Dr. Oz], JERSEY loves you + will not forget you!!!" Prior to calling in Snooki's help, Fetterman shared a photo of a plane he hired to fly a banner over the Jersey Shore reading, "Hey Dr. Oz, Welcome home to NJ! [heart emoji] John."

Oz had previously addressed the fact that he wasn't born in Pennsylvania, telling Fox News' Sean Hannitty that it didn't matter because he had a deep love for the state. "I grew up just across the border south of Philadelphia. I went to medical school in Philadelphia, went to business school in Philadelphia, met and married my wife, which was the best thing I ever did," Oz argued (via Yahoo!). He added that his children were born in the state. "I love the state, and I will represent it honorably," he promised.

As the election grew closer, Dr. Mehmet Oz's campaign increasingly floundered under the pressure, and even Donald Trump, who initially endorsed Oz, started to lose faith in his ability to beat John Fetterman.

Insiders eager to spill some hot tea claimed that Oz was turning out to be a huge regret for Donald Trump, who was none too pleased with Oz's poor performance in the polls and had come to the conclusion that the former talk show host was set to lose — but not before questioning the authenticity of the election. Trump was, unsurprisingly, worried about how Oz's failed bid would make him look since he chose to endorse him, a decision he reportedly questioned after the fact. "[Trump's] view is that it would be incredibly embarrassing for Oz if he loses to 'that guy' because he thinks so little of [Fetterman]. He thinks Fetterman is in poorer shape than Biden and has hidden in his basement more [than Joe Biden]," an insider divulged to Rolling Stone.

When Trump endorsed Oz, he called him "popular, respected, and smart" and seemed to think Oz's long television career would give him an easy win (via AP). This turned out not to be the case. As a source claimed to Rolling Stone, Trump's aides told him, "There are major problems with this campaign and, more specifically, this candidate."

A major mistake Dr. Mehmet Oz made during his bid for Senate was not being upfront about how rich he actually is. In what was likely an attempt at trying to convince Pennsylvanians that he's one of them and understands their daily struggles, Oz told a Democratic campaign operative that he owned two houses (in reality, it was ten). The question and Oz's dodgy answer had the desired effect. The media started digging, and soon, reports accusing the Senate hopeful of being a liar were running rampant.

Of course, Oz's opponent, John Fetterman, seized the opportunity to use Oz's misfortune to boost his own campaign. "I've never spoken to a PA resident who doesn't know how many houses they have... let alone be off by 8," Fetterman posted on X. "I can't tell if he's trying + failing to sound like a regular person (with ONLY TWO mansions) or if he genuinely has no idea." Oz clapped back at the tweet, writing, "I purchased my houses with MY money. You lived off your parents until you were almost 50. Regular people don't mooch off their parents when they're 50. Get off the couch John!" Many in the comments agreed that Oz should stop trying to best Fetterman at the social media game because it was becoming very clear that it simply wasn't his forte.

The final nail in the coffin of Dr. Mehmet Oz's Senate campaign was the resurfacing of a 2003 scandal, which claimed Oz had been overseeing inhumane experiments on dogs during his time working at Columbia University. John Fetterman wasted no time taking to X again to share an article rehashing the claims. "BREAKING: Dr. Oz is a puppy killer," Fetterman wrote. Reports indicated that Oz had been involved in the killing of 329 dogs, which included a litter of puppies, for experimental purposes. Other animals, like rodents, rabbits, calves, and pigs, were also killed in great numbers during his experiments.

It seemed that, by the time the allegations resurfaced, Oz had about given up on his campaign because he declined to make any public statements in his own defense. While animal testing is unfortunately not illegal, there are certain protocols that need to be followed, known as the Animal Welfare Act, and reports indicate that Oz and his team didn't bother to adhere to it. The veterinarian who initially blew the whistle on Oz and his team's inhumane treatment of animals detailed the cruelty dogs were subjected to in horrifying detail, much of which was repeated by Jezebel shortly before the election.

Speaking to People, veterinarian Catherine Dell'Orto, who worked at Columbia University's research labs while Oz and his team were conducting these cruel experiments, said that she couldn't believe what she saw. "When someone makes the choice to use an animal in a research experiment, they should be 100 percent committed to reducing any suffering that animal will experience. And I did not see that happening with Oz. I saw the opposite," she said. Needless to say, Oz's campaign was dead in the water after this, and Fetterman emerged the victor.