Dr. Oz demands Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman release medical records as U.S. Senate race tightens
Dr. Mehmet Oz wants Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman to prove he’s not looking for a new ticker.
The TV doctor and Pennsylvania Republican Senate nominee is demanding his Democratic rival release his medical records to show he doesn’t need a heart transplant following a nearly fatal stroke in May.
Dr. Mehmet Oz (left) Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (right)
“Fetterman [said] he’s not on the transplant list,” said Brittany Yanick, an Oz campaign spokeswoman. “[So] what is the big deal about releasing his medical records to back that up?”
Two editorial boards, of The Washington Post and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, have called for Fetterman to release medical records after his refusal to debate Oz more than once. The Post-Gazette said that should include cognitive tests and making his doctors available to reporters.
Fetterman, 53, has been silent about releasing medical records or providing access for reporters to question his doctors. It’s now more than four months after he suffered a stroke days ahead of the May primary that has had lingering effects on his speech and hearing. But that’s not to say the 6-foot-8 Democratic candidate hasn’t responded to the criticism.
“In June, I released a letter from my doctor where he clearly stated that I am fit to serve,” Fetterman said in a statement. “Dr. Oz built his entire career by lying to people about health. I trust my actual doctors over the opinion of a charlatan who played one on TV.”
Oz has his own challenges, including new questions this week raised by a Washington Post article about the medical products he endorsed as a daytime television star. Another report by the news site Jezebel, detailing how his research caused hundreds of dogs to be killed, rippled across social media.
Still, Democratic officials acknowledge the race tightened considerably as the calendar shifted to October. Publicly, top Democrats, including President Biden, have sought to calm party nerves over Fetterman’s condition, saying they are confident he is capable of serving.
The race in the presidential battleground to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey could help determine control of the closely divided Senate, and Democrats view it as perhaps their best opportunity to pick up a seat out of just a handful of close races nationally.
With News Wire Services
