Dr. Oz reacts to Fetterman's debate refusal after health comment: 'Hiding his radical views'
Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Oz joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss his reaction to Fetterman's refusal and key issues affecting Pennsylvanians ahead of November.
MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle failed to grill Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman over whether he will agree to debate his GOP rival Dr. Mehmet Oz ahead of the midterms.
This week, Fetterman rejected Oz's offer to partake in their first debate in early September, accusing his opponent of making light of the stroke he suffered earlier this year.
"My recovery may be a joke to Dr. Oz and his team, but it's real for me," the lieutenant governor said in a statement. "I will not be participating in a debate the first week of September, but look forward to having a productive discussion about how we can move forward and have a real conversation on this once Dr. Oz and his team are ready to take this seriously."
FETTERMAN SAID DEBATES ARE ‘IMPORTANT PART’ OF DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, BUT NOW MAY REFUSE TO DEBATE OZ
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, speaks during a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, Aug. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The subject of whether Fetterman would debate Oz came up in his first televised interview since suffering his stroke, which was pre-taped.
"You turned down Dr. Oz's invitation to debate – what made you come to that decision? And do you think you'll debate him before the election?" Ruhle asked.
Fetterman responded with a non-answer.
"Again, as I just said, this is just a sad approach at this point because they're trying to not focus on the condition of their campaign right now," Fetterman said. "And when they want to get into a serious conversation and really talk about having a debate, I'd be happy to engage in that. But right now, the fact that they have chosen to have a deeply unserious campaign to just ridicule somebody that is just recovering from a stroke."
Without any followup questions, the "11th Hour" host quickly moved on to other topics.
Stephanie Ruhle speaks during the Concordia Annual Summit on Sept. 24, 2019, in New York City. (Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit)
Appearing on "America's Newsroom," Dr. Oz denied claims that his campaign was "making fun" of Fetterman's stroke and went on to knock the Democrat for ducking from the debate.
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"I offered John Fetterman numerous opportunities to explain to me how I can make it easier for him to debate, but at this point, since he's given numerous reasons for not showing up, including the fact he didn't have time in his schedule, I'm of the opinion that he's hiding his radical views because he is the furthest far-left radical candidate at any competitive Senate race this cycle, and he doesn't want those views to be exposed," Oz told co-host Dana Perino.
Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks during a Republican leadership forum on May 11, 2022, in Newtown, Pennsylvania. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Despite polling indicating a Fetterman lead, Dr. Oz said he is confident he will prevail as issues like the border crisis and fentanyl epidemic ravage communities.
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"Pennsylvanians appreciate how far left radical John Fetterman is, that doesn't align with our values," Oz said. "That's not what people want in Pennsylvania. They want folks who can understand the values of all Pennsylvanians and protect people accordingly. That's not what John Fetterman is about."
"We cannot afford John Fetterman," he continued.
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