GOP’s Dr. Oz Says Abortion Between ‘Women, Doctors, Local Political Leaders’ in Senate Race Debate
© AP Photo / Matt Rourke
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With Pennsylvania Lt. Governor John Fetterman having difficulty speaking clearly following a stroke in May, many expected celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz to run circles around him in their sole debate for the open Pennsylvania US Senate seat. Instead, Oz put his foot in his mouth with an answer that shocked abortion supporters.
Going into Tuesday’s debate in Erie, the race between Oz and Fetterman was neck-and-neck, so putting the men face-to-face to argue over key political issues less than two weeks before the election was largely expected to settle who the front-runner would be. However, neither man fared well.
Dr. Oz shocked listeners with a frank answer about abortion.
“You say that you’re pro-life, but you do support abortion exceptions in the cases of rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother,” one of the debate moderators said before posing a question: “Aside from those three exceptions, should abortion be banned in America?”
Holy shit: Oz says his abortion position: should be between "a woman, her doctor, and local political leaders" #PASenDebate pic.twitter.com/UDiJvDYHYo
— Pat Dennis (@patdennis) October 26, 2022
“There should not be involvement from the federal government in how states decide their abortion decisions,” Oz replied.
“As a physician. I’ve been in the room when there’s some difficult conversations happening. I don’t want the federal government involved with that at all,” he continued. “I want women, doctors, local political leaders, letting the democracy that’s always allowed our nation to thrive, to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves.”
Later, when asked if he would support US Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) proposed 15-week federal abortion ban, Oz waffled, refusing to give a clear yes-or-no answer and saying he preferred to leave it up to states to regulate abortion.
Despite Oz’s misstep, Fetterman also struggled with the debate, giving a disclaimer beforehand that he might struggle with speaking clearly. Indeed he did, particularly when asked about his contradictory positions on hydraulic fracking, a highly pollutive method of oil and gas extraction.
Fetterman is asked about previously saying he wanted to eliminate fracking:
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 26, 2022
"I support fracking and I don't I support fracking and I stand and I do support fracking." pic.twitter.com/JWE20t3kWi
“Uh, I do support fracking, and, I don’t - I don’t - I support fracking, and I stand, and I do support fracking,” Fetterman said. Audible groans could be heard from the audience, which had otherwise fallen silent during his response.
Fetterman has developed a reputation as a hoodie-wearing, tattooed, plain-talking everyman that has endeared him to Pennsylvania voters. However, he suffered an ischemic stroke in May that has left him struggling to understand speech that is unaccompanied by a transcript or closed captioning, as well as clearly voicing his feelings. It has left many wondering how fit he is to continue holding office, much less to go to Washington.
However, last week, Fetterman’s doctor issued a fresh report on his health, saying he had no work restrictions for his present position as Pennsylvania’s second-highest-ranking official, and he has passed two cognitive tests in which he scored “in the normal range.”
Oz, a Turkish-American doctor from Delaware, was catapulted to celebrity status in the early 2000s when Oprah Winfrey began featuring his medical advice during a regular segment of her eponymous daytime talk show. However, he has since drawn criticism for pushing treatments and products that have been derided as pseudoscientific, including using hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19.
After announcing his candidacy for retiring US Sen. Pat Toomey’s (D-PA) Senate seat in the 2022 elections, he has also drawn criticism for living in New Jersey instead of the state he’s running in.
