Dr. Oz, peddler of pseudoscience, running for U.S. Senate

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Dr. Mehmet Oz, the host of medical themed talk show host “Dr. Oz” and a frequent peddler of pseudoscience and misleading medical information says he is planning to run for the U.S. Senate as a Republican.

Oz announced the move in the Washington Examiner, a conservative leaning newspaper.

“During the pandemic, I learned that when you mix politics and medicine, you get politics instead of solutions. That’s why I am running for the U.S. Senate: to help fix the problems and to help us heal,” Oz wrote.

Oz is running for a retiring Republican but faces a challenging primary field that already includes a former lieutenant governor nominee, Trump administration ambassador to Denmark and a former treasury department official from George W. Bush’s time in office.

“Pennsylvania needs a conservative who will put America first,” Oz said in a video on his website. “Washington got it wrong,” he added, referring to the response to COVID-19.

Oz served on Donald Trump’s Presidential Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition for two terms.

Oz rose to national fame after appearing on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show before getting his own show in 2009.

His bid has already triggered concerns over his ability to leverage his fame and wealth to get elected.

He has been widely criticized for promoting products, including paid endorsements, that have little or no scientific research behind them. At least one study found that over half the health recommendations made on the show did not have any supporting medical evidence or, in some cases, actually went against prevailing evidence.

He’s promoted faith healing, psychic communication with the dead and numerous other claims that are debunked by most medical professionals.

A self described moderate Republican, Oz is Turkish-American and Muslim. His syndicated talk show has generated millions in ad revenue and made him very wealthy and enabled him to published books as well.

Until October 2021, Oz had his voter registration in New Jersey, when he switched to Pennsylvania, though it’s not uncommon for political hopefuls, particularly wealthy ones, to “strategically” switch voter registrations to states where they own property and are more likely to succeed in winning an election.

Most “Dr. Oz” shows are taped in New York City.

Oz attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned both is his medical degree and an MBA. He did his resident at Columbia University and has taught at the school as well.