Former President Barack Obama ripped "snake oil man" Dr. Mehmet Oz, a Republican, during a rally in support of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman on Saturday.
As the midterm elections approach, powerful political figures including Obama and former President Donald Trump flocked to the battleground state of Pennsylvania to rally voters in support of their candidates. Pennsylvania's Senate race is seen as among the handful of races that could determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the Senate.
Obama rallied in Pittsburgh on Saturday on behalf of Fetterman, who currently serves as Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor as polls show him in a tight race against Oz. Obama has held events for candidates in other key races in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin.
During the rally, Obama knocked Oz for allegedly pushing misinformation on his long-running television program The Dr. Oz Show. The celebrity doctor has faced scrutiny throughout his campaign for pitching health products that critics and experts are skeptical about.
"John's opponents—he has answers, they're just the wrong ones. You want to lose weight? Take raspberry ketones. Got leg cramps? Try lavender soap. Want to prevent dementia? Palm oil, a miracle solution!" he said to the cheering crowd. "Nevermind that none of these things are proven to work—in some cases it might be harmful. You just have to believe, and then hand over your credit card information."
Oz highlighted in a 2012 episode of his show raspberry ketones, a chemical found in raspberries, as a potential weight loss solution. However, Healthlinereported that no studies backing benefits of raspberry ketones have been conducted.
"Listen, it's easy to joke about Dr. Oz and all these quack remedies he's pushed on TV. But it matters. It says something about his character. If somebody is willing to peddle snake oil to make a buck, then he's probably willing to sell snake oil to get elected," Obama said, calling Oz a "snake oil man."
Pittsburgh's Department of Public Safety estimated that about 3,500 people were at the rally, noting that it's difficult to gauge the exact count due to the event's layout. The Fetterman campaign gave a higher estimate, and told Newsweek on Saturday that 6,500 people were in attendance with another 1,000 people in overflow.
What Polls Say About Pennsylvania Senate Race
Obama has attended rallies for several candidates in key races in recent days ahead of Tuesday's midterms. In Pennsylvania, Fetterman held a comfortable lead against Oz for months. That lead, however, collapsed in recent weeks, with polls now showing the race as a pure tossup as concerns about Fetterman's health and record on crime grow.
Fetterman suffered a stroke in May. Oz raised concerns the side effects of the stroke could affect Fetterman's ability to serve in the Senate though Fetterman has said he is expected to make a full recovery. Oz has faced some criticism for how he has approached the issue, which became a major topic of discussion after Fetterman's gaffe-filled debate performance.
A November 3 Insider Advantage poll conducted among 750 likely voters found Oz leading by 2 points, winning 48 percent of respondents' support compared to 46 percent for Fetterman. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.58 percent.
Meanwhile, a Marist College poll conducted from October 31 to November 2 among 1,021 registered voters found Oz leading by 6 percentage points. The poll found 45 percent of respondents backing Oz, while 51 percent said they planned to vote for Fetterman. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Newsweek reached out to the Oz campaign for comment.
Updated 11/05/2022 4:38 p.m. ET with statement from Fetterman campaign.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
