After Republican Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Oz’s campaign mocked John Fetterman for having suffered a stroke earlier this year, the Democrat said he could never imagine “ridiculing someone for their health challenges.”
“I had a stroke. I survived it. I’m truly so grateful to still be here today,” Mr Fetterman wrote on Twitter late on Tuesday. “I know politics can be nasty, but even then, I could *never* imagine ridiculing someone for their health challenges.”
His tweet came after Rachel Tripp, a communications adviser to Dr Oz’s campaign, told Business Insider: “If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn’t have had a major stroke and wouldn’t be in the position of having to lie about it constantly.”
Ms Tripp was responding to a question about an infamous video of Dr Oz from earlier this month.
Dr Oz was filmed at a grocery store in Pennsylvania shopping for ingredients for crudité, which is typically a plate of sliced vegetables, in an attempt to show rising grocery prices as a result of inflation.
But many mocked Dr Oz for holding the vegetables with his bare hands and for seeming out of touch with the larger population. He also mixed up the names of Redner’s and Wegman’s grocery stores and said Wenger’s.
Mr Fetterman had also mocked Dr Oz for the crudites video and even raised nearly funds of $500,000 off of it.
He had tweeted: “To honour Dr Oz’s love for crudités and Wegners (and also because it’s my birthday), we’re launching this NEW limited edition sticker.”
“Make a donation of any amount + it’s all yours,” the Democrat had said, adding: “Because it’s actually just a veggie tray.”
He had included a link to a page at the fundraising platform ActBlue, which seeks donations to his campaign and said, in part: “We can’t wait to send you your Crudité sticker, friend.”
Mr Fetterman suffered a stroke in May, shortly before the Democratic Senate primary to replace retiring Republican Senator Pat Toomey.
While Mr Fetterman beat Representative Conor Lamb and state legislator Malcolm Kenyatta, Dr Oz narrowly won a tight and bruising primary against hedge fund executive Dave McCormick and Kathy Barnette.
On social media, many users criticised the mocking tone used by Dr Oz’s campaign.
One commentator wrote: “Whether you agree with someone or not, mocking their health problems is disgusting and irresponsible. Most Americans know a stroke survivor, and know the last thing they need is a millionaire TV “doctor” mocking them. Dr Oz should be ashamed of himself and his campaign.”
Another user wrote: “Really disgusted at the rhetoric coming out of the @DrOz campaign these past few days. As a nurse, I see healthcare champions fighting for people with health challenges, not demeaning them. PA deserves better than Oz.”
