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Former President Donald Trump on Saturday evening announced he was endorsing TV surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz in the bitter contest to become the Republican nominee for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania.
‘Great guy, good man,’ he told a rally crowd in Selma, North Carolina. ‘Harvard educated, tremendous, tremendous career.’
Dr. Oz brings broad name recognition to a contest that could decide overall control of the Senate in November’s midterms – a fact not lost on Trump, who said his 18 years in TV were like winning an opinion poll.
The Trump endorsement could break a deadlock in the Pennsylvania race.
Oz has been neck and neck with David McCormick, a former hedge fund chief executive, and both had visited Trump in Mar-a-Lago as they vied for the backing of the most powerful voice in the Republican Party.
Trump announced his endorsement at a rally in Selma, North Carolina on Saturday night
Insiders said the endorsement was Oz’s to lose as Melania Trump is a big fan. Oz is on the far right, seen here with the Trumps and Piers Morgan on the left
But insiders said it had been Oz’s endorsement to lose – particularly as former first lady Melania Trump was known to be a big fan.
‘He has lived with us through the screen and has always been popular, respected, and smart,’ said Trump in an emailed statement.
‘He even said that I was in extraordinary health, which made me like him even more (although he also said I should lose a couple of pounds!).’
Trump appeared on the Dr Oz show to discuss his health before the 2016 election, revealing that he weight 236lb, in a segment that clearly still rankles.
On the Democratic side, Pennsylvania’s progressive lieutenant governor, John Fetterman, is locked in a race against Congressman Conor Lamb, a moderate representing the northwestern suburbs of Pittsburgh.
Democrats believe a bad-tempered Republican contest could give them victory in November in an election to replace retiring Republican Senator Pat Toomey.
‘The Republican Senate primary in Pennsylvania was already nasty, expensive and brutal. Now Trump’s endorsement will only intensify this intra-party fight, just like it has in GOP Senate primaries across the country – leaving their ultimate nominee badly damaged and out of step with the voters who will decide the general election,’ said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Patrick Burgwinkle.
Biden narrowly won Pennsylvania in the 2020 election but Republicans made gains in the state legislature leaving November’s election as a tight race.
Trump said Oz was a winner with strong conservative credentials.
‘Dr. Oz is Pro-Life, very strong on crime, the border, election fraud, our great military, and our vets, tax cuts, and will always fight for and support our under-siege Second Amendment,’ he said.
‘He will ensure America will become energy independent again. Dr. Oz also passionately believes in high-quality education and protecting parent involvement throughout the process.
‘Perhaps most importantly, I believe that Mehmet Oz will be the one most able to win the General Election against a Radical Left Democrat looking to do unthinkable harm to our Country.’
Source: dailymail
