Twitter Users Mock Dr. Oz's Decision To Run For Senate
Dr. Mehmet Oz announced Tuesday that he’s running for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, and the news is attracting a lot of Twitter mockery.
Oz is entering the key midterm race as a Republican, and many Twitter users expressed skepticism that he was the right person for the job. Some pointed out the many times he has promoted medical misinformation and shilled for weight loss scams.
Dr. Oz is one of the most prolific snake oil salesmen in the world (the British Medical Journal says >50% of medical recommendations on his show are bunk). He was an early promoter of hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment, which may have influenced Trump's support for it.
— Jordan Fischer (@JordanOnRecord) November 30, 2021
Dr. Oz heard that quack science is political gold and he said "sign me up!" https://t.co/IEYl0JBZCT
— Matt Nedostup (@nedostup) November 30, 2021
Others thought Oz running for office was on-brand for the current Republican Party.
Dr. Oz is a scam artist so he's a perfect fit for today's GOP. https://t.co/ASiEBQ37zZ
— Adam Smith (@asmith83) November 30, 2021
Donald Trump, Caitlyn Jenner, Herschel Walker... and now Dr. Oz.
The Republican Party is the party of washed up celebrities running for office they have zero qualifications to hold.— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) November 30, 2021
Voting for Dr. Oz is problematic on several levels, but did you ever wonder what it means that some of the biggest wackadoos in Congress were previously doctors? Does it say there are more crazy doctors than we'd like to admit, or that you have to be crazy to run for office?
— Schooley (@Rschooley) November 30, 2021
But one person made the case that it might be better for the country if Oz served in the Senate rather than starred on TV.
tbh, I think Dr. Oz would do far less damage to society as a senator than he does as a daily font and amplifier of misinformation for millions. Don't get me wrong, I think his license should be stripped and he should be cast into oblivion, but between those two, I'd pick senator.
— Yoni Freedhoff 🟣, MD (@YoniFreedhoff) November 30, 2021
A CNN journalist made a prediction for how Oz’s opponents might counteract his candidacy.
under/over on negative ad from Oz's opponent titled "the man behind the curtain"
— Ariel Edwards-Levy (@aedwardslevy) November 30, 2021
Others suggested that Oz needed to focus on issues relevant to Pennsylvanians, a state where he doesn’t appear to have lived since attending the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Oz’s announcement of his run for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania (in an outlet not based on Pennsylvania, no less) literally does not mention anything about Pennsylvania, the state in which he ostensibly wants to be elected as Senator. https://t.co/10So1GB6z2
— stephen fowler (@stphnfwlr) November 30, 2021
But is Dr. Oz ready to answer whether Jalen Hurts should be the QB of the future?
— Al Weaver (@alweaver22) November 30, 2021
Regardless of what political polls might say, one MSNBC contributor made it clear that Oz can be beat ― on “Jeopardy!,” anyway.
Trivia post. I have no idea whether Dr Oz will make a good candidate for Senate but I did once beat him on #Jeopardy. It was a satisfying moment especially as the other contestant, the great Chris Wallace, told me before the episode that he was much more worried about Oz than me! https://t.co/Y9QWBb8F78
— Katty Kay (@KattyKay_) November 30, 2021
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.