<p>Vice President JD Vance announced on Wednesday that the Trump administration would withhold nearly $260 million in Medicaid funding for the Democrat-controlled Minnesota state government following the state&#8217;s massive fraud scandal.</p>
<p>Vance, who was tapped by President Donald Trump to lead the administration&#8217;s anti-fraud crackdown during the State of the Union address on Tuesday night, said that Minnesota must prove that it &#8220;takes its obligation seriously to be good stewards of the American people&#8217;s tax money.&#8221; According to Vance, the Trump administration is withholding reimbursements for Medicaid services that Minnesota already paid for out of the state budget.</p>
<p>&#8220;What this means is that first of all, the providers on the ground in Minnesota have actually already been paid,&#8221; Vance said at a press conference alongside Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services. &#8220;What we&#8217;re doing is we&#8217;re stopping the federal payments that will go to the state government until the state government takes its obligations seriously to stop the fraud that&#8217;s being perpetrated against the American taxpayer.&#8221;</p>
<p>Minnesota state leaders, including Democratic Governor Tim Walz, were informed of the Trump administration&#8217;s move, according to Oz, who said the federal government will hold the Medicaid payments until Minnesota properly addresses the fraud.</p>
<p>&#8220;If Minnesota fails to clean up the systems, the state will rack up $1 billion of deferred payments this year,&#8221; Oz <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2026781835179565155">said</a>.</p>
<p>Oz assured reporters that the Medicaid funding freeze would not &#8220;hurt&#8221; Minnesota residents, since the state&#8217;s budget has a &#8220;rainy-day fund&#8221; to cover the lapse in funding.</p>
<p>&#8220;If providers and beneficiaries are worried about getting their money and services, please call your governor. These are services the governor has already paid for. We are just not reimbursing the state,&#8221; Oz said, adding, &#8220;This is not a problem with the people of Minnesota, it&#8217;s a problem with the leadership of Minnesota and other states who do not take Medicaid preservation seriously.&#8221;</p>
<p>Vance has zeroed in on 14 state programs in Minnesota, which include autism service providers and medical service transports that the administration believes are rife with fraud. The Trump administration is giving Walz 60 days to respond to its letter informing the state government of its freeze on Medicaid funding.</p>
<p>The vice president called out so-called services in Minnesota that have received millions in taxpayer dollars, only to make fraudsters rich. Federal prosecutors recently uncovered a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/federal-jury-finds-feeding-our-future-mastermind-and-co-defendant-guilty-250-million">massive fraud scheme</a> in Minnesota, resulting in dozens of convictions so far.</p>
<p>Minnesota&#8217;s “Feeding Our Future” program received federal funds and claimed to distribute meals to hungry children during the COVID pandemic, but allegedly never did so. The vast majority of those charged in the fraud scheme were of Somali descent.</p>
<p>Vance <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2026778961930268688">said</a> on Wednesday that the administration also found that a Minnesota program that was supposed to help kids with autism &#8220;has made a number of people rich, not by providing services to needy children, but by allowing fraudsters to take money that ought by right go to American citizens and to American families.&#8221;</p>
<p>Dr. Oz said at the White House press conference that the new Trump administration effort would be the &#8220;largest anti-fraud effort of its kind&#8221; in the history of the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services. Oz said that a fraud scheme in Minnesota pays mothers around $1,000 to falsely enroll their children as autistic and then Medicaid is billed for millions of dollars in &#8220;services that were never rendered.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;These schemes disproportionately involve immigrant communities,&#8221; Oz <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2026781360266830026">added</a>. &#8220;They&#8217;re able to organize efforts, and sometimes they don&#8217;t understand what&#8217;s going on. And ultimately, it diverts resources away from kids who truly have autism.&#8221;</p>
<p>Daycare and learning centers linked to Somali immigrants in the Minneapolis area have also come under <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-daycare-fraud-has-been-going-on-at-least-a-decade-and-theres-video-to-prove-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrutiny</a> for suspected fraud after independent journalist Nick Shirley posted a 42-minute video in December that showed him visiting numerous daycares that have received state funding, but don’t appear to be serving any children.</p>


JD Vance

Vance Takes First Major Action As Fraud Czar With Sights Set On Minnesota

Fraud

Medicaid

Mehmet Oz

Minnesota

Tim Walz

Trump Administration

<p>Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said President Donald Trump has incredibly high testosterone levels for a man his age, and discussed the president&#8217;s bizarre diet — which includes a lot of fast food.</p>
<p>“He&#8217;s got incredible health,&#8221; Kennedy said of President Trump during a recent appearance on The Katie Miller Podcast.</p>
<p>Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services, looked at Trump&#8217;s medical records &#8220;and said he&#8217;s got the highest testosterone level that he&#8217;s ever seen for an individual over 70 years old,&#8221; according to Kennedy, who joked that he knows Trump would be okay with him disclosing that to the public.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bobby Kennedy on President Trump’s health:</p>
<p>“He&#8217;s got a he&#8217;s incredible health. <a href="https://twitter.com/DrOz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrOz</a> looked at his medical records and said he&#8217;s got the HIGHEST testosterone level that he&#8217;s ever seen for an individual over 70 years old.</p>
<p>I know the President will be happy that I&#8217;ll repeat… <a href="https://t.co/GRqr4Xlz8v">pic.twitter.com/GRqr4Xlz8v</a></p>
<p>— Katie Miller (@KatieMiller) <a href="https://twitter.com/KatieMiller/status/2011239167943119241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2026</a></p></blockquote>
<p>The president, though, has a bizarre diet, Kennedy said. When asked who has &#8220;the most unhinged eating habits&#8221; in the administration, Kennedy quickly pinpointed Trump.</p>
<p>&#8220;The interesting thing about the president, is that he eats really bad food, which is McDonald’s, and candy, and Diet Coke — he drinks the Diet Coke at all times. He has the constitution of a deity. I don’t know how he’s alive,&#8221; Kennedy joked.</p>
<div id="attachment_1027605" style="width: 902px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1027605" class="wp-image-1027605 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2178845538.jpg" alt="Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump works behind the counter during a campaign event at McDonald's restaurant on October 20, 2024 in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania." width="892" height="505" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2178845538.jpg 892w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2178845538-300x170.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2178845538-768x435.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 892px) 100vw, 892px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1027605" class="wp-caption-text"><em>Doug Mills/The New York Times via Getty Images</em></p></div>
<p>&#8220;He says that the only time he eats the junk food is when he&#8217;s on the road, and he wants to eat food from big corporations because he trusts it — he doesn&#8217;t want to get sick when he&#8217;s on the road,&#8221; the secretary explained. &#8220;But when he&#8217;s at Mar-a-Lago or at the White House, he&#8217;s eating really good food.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;If you travel with him, you get his idea that he&#8217;s just pumping himself full of poison all day long and you don&#8217;t know how he&#8217;s walking around, much less being the most energetic person any of us have ever met,&#8221; Kennedy added.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">RFK Jr. on Trump:</p>
<p>“He eats really bad food, which is McDonald’s, and candy and Diet Coke. But he drinks Diet Coke at all times. He has the constitution of a deity. I don’t know how he’s alive…He&#8217;s just pumping himself full of poison all day long.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/l4iHnlTkiE">pic.twitter.com/l4iHnlTkiE</a></p>
<p>— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/2011296405286240512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2026</a></p></blockquote>
<p>President Trump is known for having incredible energy and needing very little sleep. Left-wing CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins recently <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cnn-kaitlan-collins-reveals-why-181726613.html">talked</a> about how media folks dread traveling with Trump on Air Force One because the president &#8220;does not sleep.&#8221;</p>
<p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“He doesn’t sleep on these trips, and you’re going to Asia or something, and that’s like the only time you’re going to sleep before you go on this trip, but Trump is just always up and talking,” Collins said a source told her.</p>
<p>Trump, apparently, will even “wake staff up if they’re asleep because he wants to talk to them,” Collins added.</p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-releases-trumps-excellent-health-exam-summary">White House Releases Trump’s ‘Excellent’ Health Exam Summary</a></strong></p>


Donald Trump

RFK Jr. Praises Trump’s Sky-High Testosterone Levels, Jokes About His Bizarre Diet

Health

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

<p>Rural health care is getting a big boost thanks to the Trump administration.</p>
<p>The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced on Monday that all 50 states will receive funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program, a $50 billion investment established through President Trump&#8217;s Working Families Tax Cuts legislation.</p>
<p>This $50 billion initiative is meant to strengthen and modernize health care in rural communities across the country. The funds will be allocated over five years, with $10 billion available each year from 2026 through 2030. For the first year, the money for each state ranges from $147 million to $281 million.</p>
<p>“Today marks an extraordinary milestone for rural health in America,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “Thanks to Congress establishing this investment and President Trump for his leadership, states are stepping forward with bold, creative plans to expand rural access, strengthen their workforces, modernize care, and support the communities that keep our nation running.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thanks to the Rural Health Transformation Fund, created by congressional Republicans and signed into law by President Trump, we are investing $50 BILLION in rural healthcare across America! <a href="https://t.co/4pA6EsLc0f">pic.twitter.com/4pA6EsLc0f</a></p>
<p>— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP/status/2005698509245198634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p>Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that because of the investment, rural Americans will have affordable health care close to home, free from bureaucratic obstacles.</p>
<p><b data-stringify-type="bold"><a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a></b></p>
<p>“More than 60 million Americans living in rural areas have the right to equal access to quality care,” Kennedy said. “This historic investment puts local hospitals, clinics, and health workers in control of their communities’ health care.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stated in a press release Monday that states are improving healthcare access in rural areas by planning efforts that will:</p>
<ul>
<li>Bring More Care Within Reach</li>
<li>Strengthen and Sustain the Rural Clinical Workforce</li>
<li>Modernize Rural Health Infrastructure and Technology</li>
<li>Driving Structural Efficiency &amp; Empowering the Community Providers</li>
<li>Advance Innovative Care Models and Payment Reform</li>
</ul>
<p>Oz told reporters Monday the $50 billion investment isn&#8217;t intended to pay off the bills: “The purpose of this $50 billion investment is to allow us to rightsize the system and to deal with the fundamental hindrances of improvement in rural health care.”</p>
<p>As part of the program, states are required to submit regular updates to the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services. Oz said he wants states to get creative with the funds to change the way health care has been administered in rural America.</p>
<p>&#8220;By doing this the right way and by allowing more practitioners to move to these areas and training nurses and doctors in these rural areas, we think they will stay put and provide high-quality care,&#8221; Oz said.</p>


Illustration by Daily Wire staff

Trump Admin Invests $50 Billion Into Rural Health Care

Dr. Oz

Executive

Health and Human Services

Health Care

U.S.

<p>House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) mocked and summarily dismissed Dr. Mehmet Oz, the cardio-thoracic surgeon-turned television personality who is currently serving in President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration as the 17th administrator of the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services.</p>
<p>Jeffries, while taking questions from the press, responded to a mention of Oz with derisive laughter followed by insults, claiming that Oz was not to be &#8220;taken seriously&#8221; and was &#8220;woefully unqualified&#8221; to be posing questions about health care.</p>
<p><strong>WATCH:</strong></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I asked <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJeffries</a> about <a href="https://twitter.com/DrOz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrOz</a> telling Fox there are millions of “phantom enrollees” on ACA</p>
<p>His response: “Nobody who’s serious in this country takes Dr. Oz seriously”</p>
<p>Dr. Oz:</p>
<p>&#8211; Harvard B.A. &amp; UPenn M.D./M.B.A.<br />
&#8211; Board-Certified Cardiothoracic Surgeon <a href="https://t.co/EnLs0d95Bc">pic.twitter.com/EnLs0d95Bc</a></p>
<p>— Darren Botelho (@DarrenBotelho) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenBotelho/status/1987956363465531532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>&#8220;Dr. Oz said that —&#8221; Fox Business national correspondent Darren Botelho began, but Jeffries interrupted.</p>
<p>&#8220;Who?&#8221; he asked, prompting laughter from around the room.</p>
<p>Botelho finished his question, asking about the millions of &#8220;phantom enrollees&#8221; — people who are technically enrolled in plans under the Affordable Care Act but who never use the benefits, either because they were fraudulently enrolled without their knowledge or because they have other coverage and therefore don&#8217;t need it. Jeffries took a drink of water and smiled while he waited for Botelho to stop talking.</p>
<p>&#8220;<span style="font-size: medium;">That’s like the most random way to start a question on a serious topic, nobody </span>who&#8217;s<span style="font-size: medium;"> serious in this country takes Dr. Oz seriously — no one,” Jeffries said, making no effort to address the &#8220;serious topic&#8221; as he continued to mock Dr. Oz. &#8220;I</span> mean, it’s shocking that the guy was even confirmed. But this is part of the reality that Republicans here in the House and over in the Senate — they’re nothing more than a rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s cruelty and extreme agenda.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I have no idea what Dr. Oz is talking about and neither do the American people. I’m not going to respond to any comments from randos like Dr. Oz, who is woefully unqualified to be in whatever position he holds in the administration. He’s a joke, these people are a joke,&#8221; Jeffries continued, still not answering the question. &#8220;But the issue of the health care of the American people is very serious, and that’s what we’ll continue to focus on.&#8221;</p>
<p>Fox News anchor John Roberts pushed back, reminding Jeffries of Dr. Oz&#8217;s rather hefty resume.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/hakeemjeffries?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hakeemjeffries</a> just insisted that <a href="https://twitter.com/DrOz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrOz</a> is &#8220;unqualified&#8221;.<br />
Just a quick fact check for the minority leader:<br />
Mehmet Oz<br />
Undergraduate degree &#8211; Harvard<br />
MD &#8211; UPenn<br />
MBA &#8211; Wharton School<br />
He was a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital before taking the… <a href="https://t.co/pEzd6f70Hk">pic.twitter.com/pEzd6f70Hk</a></p>
<p>— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrobertsFox/status/1987934681136841114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>&#8220;@hakeemjeffries just insisted that @DrOz is &#8216;unqualified,'&#8221; Roberts posted via X. &#8220;Just a quick fact check for the minority leader: Mehmet Oz: Undergraduate degree — Harvard; MD — UPenn; MBA — Wharton School; He was a renowned cardio-thoracic surgeon at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital before taking the leap into TV.&#8221;</p>
<p>A slightly more detailed explainer supplied by <a href="https://x.com/grok/status/1987965480012050509">@grok</a> added, &#8220;Dr. Mehmet Oz earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a joint MD-MBA from the University of Pennsylvania in 1986. He is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon who performed over 100 heart surgeries annually early in his career. Oz also served as a professor of surgery and vice-chair at Columbia University&#8217;s Cardiovascular Institute until retiring as emeritus in 2018.&#8221;</p>


US CMS administrator nominee Mehmet Oz – confirmation hearing

Hakeem Jeffries Trashes Dr. Oz, Gets Hit With Brutal Fact-Check

Democrats

Hakeem Jeffries

Media

Politics

<p>The Senate confirmed former TV star and heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz today in a strictly partisan vote to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where he will oversee more than $1.5 trillion in federal health spending.</p>
<p>The 53-45 vote split perfectly along party lines, with Oz now set to oversee insurance coverage for more than 160 million Americans.</p>
<p>Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) expressed concern over Oz’s previous stances regarding transgenderism and abortion, but voted for the former GOP Senate candidate in the end on Thursday.</p>
<p>When reached for comment in March, an Oz spokesperson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-trump-nom-dr-oz-is-committed-to-protecting-children-from-trans-procedures?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Trump+Nom+Dr.+Oz+‘Committed’+To+Protecting+Children+From+Trans+Procedures&amp;category=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Daily Wire: “Dr. Oz fully understands the harms caused to minors by such procedures and is committed to implementing President Donald J. Trump’s agenda of protecting children so they can grow to live out their God-given potential.&#8221;</p>
<p>The statement, which comes shortly after Oz advanced out of the Senate Finance Committee by a 14-13 vote, seems to have cleared up some apprehensions about where Oz stood on the hot-button issue, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-exposed-kamalas-radical-stances-on-gender-americans-voted-against-it">drove many voters to the polls</a> in November.</p>
<p>Oz had also defended <em>Roe v. Wade</em> in 2019, but in a 2022 op-ed, the doctor clarified his pro-life position.</p>
<p>Oz takes the helm amid a significant downsizing at HHS, where a reorganization launched Tuesday by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency eliminated 10,000 jobs department-wide.</p>
<p>The cuts directly led to the firing of 300 CMS employees, but closed five HHS offices tasked with assisting states with Medicare issues, with similar cutbacks indirectly affecting Oz’s new venture, Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/03/senate-confirmation-mehmet-oz-medicare-medicaid-00270913">reports</a>.</p>
<p>During the confirmation hearings, Oz closely aligned himself with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda to “Make America Healthy Again” by focusing on combatting obesity and supporting preventative care measures.</p>
<p>“The deeper promise that we should all be making to America is we’re going to make it easy for America to do the right thing when it comes to their health,” Oz <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/04/03/mehmet-oz-cms-medicaid-confirmation/">said</a> during his confirmation hearing, per The Washington Post.</p>
<p>The new administrator will immediately <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/03/senate-confirmation-mehmet-oz-medicare-medicaid-00270913">face</a> Medicaid reform demands, as House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee seek $880 billion in savings to curb what they claim is substantial waste and abuse in the program, according to Politico.</p>
<p>“Let’s be aggressive in modernizing our tools to reduce fraud, waste and abuse. This will stop unscrupulous people from stealing from vulnerable Americans and extend the life of the Medicare trust fund,” Oz said in his Senate hearing, notes The Hill.</p>
<p>Prior to his confirmation, Oz hosted a popular daytime television show from 2009 to 2022 and suffered a narrow defeat in 2024 for Pennsylvania&#8217;s Senate seat against Democrat John Fetterman.</p>
<p><em>Mary Margaret Olohan contributed to this report.</em></p>


Senate Confirms Dr. Oz As Head Of Medicare And Medicaid Services

Congress

John Fetterman

Josh Hawley

U.S. Senate

<p>WASHINGTON — Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump&#8217;s nominee to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told The Daily Wire on Tuesday evening that he is opposed to all transgender procedures on minors.</p>
<p>&#8220;Dr. Oz fully understands the harms caused to minors by such procedures and is committed to implementing President Donald J. Trump&#8217;s agenda of protecting children so they can grow to live out their God-given potential,&#8221; an Oz spokesman told The Daily Wire on Tuesday evening.</p>
<p>The statement, which comes shortly after Oz advanced out of the Senate Finance Committee by a 14-13 vote, may clear up some apprehensions about where the nominee stands on hot-button transgender issues, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-exposed-kamalas-radical-stances-on-gender-americans-voted-against-it">drove many voters to the polls</a> this fall. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) had voiced concerns about Oz&#8217;s record on both transgender issues and abortion, pointing out that in the past, Oz had &#8220;praised trans surgeries for minors and supported hormone treatments &amp; puberty blockers for kids in the past,&#8221; as well as &#8220;criticized state laws protecting life.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I hope he’s changed his views to match President Trump!&#8221; Hawley tweeted this week. &#8220;We need the Trump agenda at CMS.&#8221;</p>
<p>A member of Oz&#8217;s team told The Daily Wire on Tuesday night that Oz had requested a meeting with Hawley, but the Missouri senator declined. A source close to the Missouri Republican countered that Hawley did not decline the meeting, but was rather following standard Senate procedure in waiting to schedule his meeting with Oz until he received answers to the questions he sent over in his petition, which Oz has not provided.</p>
<p>On Tuesday evening, after hearing that Oz had promised to implement the president&#8217;s agenda on protecting children from irreversible transgender procedures, a spokesman for the senator told The Daily Wire of Oz: “We look forward to hearing from him.”</p>
<div id="attachment_897759" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-trump-nom-dr-oz-is-committed-to-protecting-children-from-trans-procedures/mehmet-oz-testifies-in-senate-nomination-hearing-to-be-administrator-of-the-centers-for-medicare-and-medicaid-services" rel="attachment wp-att-897759"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-897759" class="wp-image-897759 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205122882-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205122882-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205122882-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205122882-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205122882.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-897759" class="wp-caption-text">Dr. Mehmet Oz arrives for his confirmation hearing with the Senate Finance Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)</p></div>
<p>The Daily Wire previously reported that Oz had drawn fire for his past stances on abortion when he campaigned for a Pennsylvania senate seat in 2022. Notably, Oz had defended <em>Roe v. Wade</em> in 2019 as a measure that prevents coat hanger abortions, saying he did not “want to interfere” with a woman’s ability to abort her baby, accusing pro-lifers of “picking fights,” and suggesting that pro-life laws would make businesses leave red states.</p>
<p>Oz clarified where he stood in a 2022 op-ed where he promised: “I will be a bold voice in the Senate and a proud champion for the pro-life movement. I won’t ever shy away from sharing my pro-life beliefs, even as pro-abortion advocates in medicine, the media, and Big Tech try to silence me.”</p>
<p>Hawley is a staunch defender of both children targeted by transgender ideology and unborn babies whose lives are lost through abortion, and has positioned himself as a sort of safeguard over the past few months since Trump&#8217;s inauguration.</p>
<p>In January, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-trump-to-pardon-imprisoned-pro-life-activists-within-days">urged the president</a> to release the pro-life prisoners imprisoned by President Joe Biden&#8217;s Justice Department (which Trump did), <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-tale-of-two-phone-calls-how-josh-hawley-fought-for-victims-of-bidens-doj">intervened</a> as Texas Children’s whistleblower Eithan Haim faced DOJ punishment (the case against him was dropped), and most recently lobbied against the Food and Drug Administration’s newly selected chief counsel Hillary Perkins by airing scrutiny of her record on abortion and vaccines (she resigned the following day, and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/josh-hawley-smears-a-pro-life-lawyer-food-and-drug-administration-confirmation-vote-fb95c8e9?st=zgWXUA&amp;reflink=article_imessage_share">accuses</a> Hawley of smearing her).</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Senator Hawley’s written questions for Dr. Mehmet Oz, nominee for Administrator of CMS <a href="https://t.co/8xquP0SICy">pic.twitter.com/8xquP0SICy</a></p>
<p>— Senator Hawley Press Office (@SenHawleyPress) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenHawleyPress/status/1902170714376941604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p>A source close to Hawley <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-how-the-fdas-chief-counsel-went-from-hired-to-fired-in-two-days">told The Daily Wire earlier this month</a> that the senator&#8217;s vociferous opposition to Perkins at the FDA stemmed from his concerns that the Biden administration’s abortion drug rules completely undermine the Supreme Court’s ruling in <em>Dobbs</em> v. <em>Jackson Women’s Health Organization</em>, the decision that overturned <em>Roe</em> v. <em>Wade</em>, and that the senator is worried about the Trump administration waffling on handling the matter of abortion drugs.</p>
<p>Oz&#8217;s nomination next heads to a full senate vote.</p>


EXCLUSIVE: Trump Nom Dr. Oz ‘Committed’ To Protecting Children From Trans Procedures

Abortion

Transgender

<p>Supporters of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> claim that Senate Republican Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mitch-mcconnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitch McConnell</a> (R-KY) is responsible for Senate losses because he failed to direct sufficient funding to candidates who ran with the endorsement of the former president. An analysis of campaign finance records by The Daily Wire explored whether that is true.</p>
<p>The most specific criticism came from Arizona Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters, who <a href="https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/1591419413701746690" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Tucker Carlson that &#8220;McConnell decided to spend millions of dollars attacking a fellow Republican in Alaska instead of helping me defeat Mark Kelly. Had he chosen to spend money in Arizona, this race would be over.&#8221;</p>
<p>It is true that McConnell&#8217;s super PAC did not spend in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-democrat-incumbent-mark-kelly-defeats-republican-blake-masters-in-arizona-senate-race-projection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Masters race</a>, and that it spent $6 million in Alaska in a race between two Republicans. However, those are the only examples like that, and the amount in question was relatively insignificant given the total spending, and highly unlikely to have closed the substantial gap in votes in that race.</p>
<p>Overall, the charge of not spending heavily on Senate races is diametrically opposite the reality of McConnell&#8217;s super PAC, the Senate Leadership Fund. It was by far the largest spender of any super PAC in the 2022 cycle. It spent $230 million, vastly exceeding what its Democrat counterpart, the Senate Majority PAC, spent. Trump&#8217;s super PAC, MAGA Inc., spent only 6% of what McConnell&#8217;s did. At $15 million, it ranked #12 among super PACs.</p>
<p>With the exception of Masters, McConnell&#8217;s super PAC ran ads helping all of the Senate candidates that Trump&#8217;s super PAC did. And the amounts of money it gave in each were far greater than what Trump&#8217;s super PAC gave.</p>
<p>In Georgia, McConnell&#8217;s PAC spent more than 10 times what Trump&#8217;s did pushing Herschel Walker across the finish line, at $38 million to $3.4 million. In Nevada, McConnell spent $26 million to Trump&#8217;s $2 million on Adam Laxalt. In Ohio, McConnell spent $32 million to Trump&#8217;s $2.3 million on J.D. Vance.</p>
<p>And in Pennsylvania, McConnell spent a whopping $52 million boosting Mehmet Oz. That massive spending was viewed as necessary because Oz was viewed as a poor candidate. He had little traction even among Pennsylvania Republicans until Trump&#8217;s endorsement. (At a major conference for conservative Pennsylvanians during the primary season, this reporter observed Oz&#8217;s table with not a single person in line, as throngs of grassroots conservatives queued up at the tables of other candidates.) Despite the race arguably being so close because of Trump&#8217;s Oz pick, Trump&#8217;s super PAC spent only $3.5 million supporting Oz&#8217;s campaign.</p>
<p>McConnell&#8217;s PAC also spent money in competitive Senate races that Trump&#8217;s did not, including in North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin.</p>
<table style="background: black; color: #ccc; width: 100%; border: 1px white solid;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; padding-bottom: 15px;" colspan="3">SuperPAC spending in Senate general election</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 15px;" colspan="3"><span style="color: green;">Green=McConnell</span>, <span style="color: orange;">Orange=Trump</span>, <span style="color: red;">Red=Other Republican</span>. <span style="color: blue;">Blue=Democrat</span></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">AK (R)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: green; float: left; width: 5%;">$6M</div>
<div style="background: red; float: left; width: 6%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$13M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">AK (D)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;"></td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$0M</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="background: black; color: #ccc; width: 100%; border: 1px white solid;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">AZ (R)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: orange; float: left; color: black; width: 3%;">4M</div>
<div style="background: red; float: left; width: 41%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$53M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">AZ (D)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: blue; float: left; width: 47%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$57M</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="background: black; color: #ccc; width: 100%; border: 1px white solid;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">GA (R)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: green; float: left; width: 32%;">$38M</div>
<div style="background: orange; float: left; color: black; width: 3%;">3M</div>
<div style="background: red; float: left; width: 25%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$72M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">GA (D)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: blue; float: left; width: 60%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$72M</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="background: black; color: #ccc; width: 100%; border: 1px white solid;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">NC (R)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: green; float: left; width: 32%;">$38M</div>
<div style="background: red; float: left; width: 22%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$65M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">NC (D)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: blue; float: left; width: 18%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$22M</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="background: black; color: #ccc; width: 100%; border: 1px white solid;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">NH (R)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: green; float: left; width: 13%;">$16M</div>
<div style="background: red; float: left; width: 6%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$23M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">NH (D)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: blue; float: left; width: 19%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$22M</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="background: black; color: #ccc; width: 100%; border: 1px white solid;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">NV (R)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: green; float: left; width: 21%;">$26M</div>
<div style="background: orange; float: left; color: black; width: 2%;">2M</div>
<div style="background: red; float: left; width: 25%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$57M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">NV (D)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: blue; float: left; width: 56%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$67M</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="background: black; color: #ccc; width: 100%; border: 1px white solid;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">OH (R)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: green; float: left; width: 27%;">$32M</div>
<div style="background: orange; float: left; color: black; width: 2%;">2M</div>
<div style="background: red; float: left; width: 3%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$39M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">OH (D)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: blue; float: left; width: 13%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$16M</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="background: black; color: #ccc; width: 100%; border: 1px white solid;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">PA (R)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: green; float: left; width: 43%;">$52M</div>
<div style="background: orange; float: left; color: black; width: 3%;">3M</div>
<div style="background: red; float: left; width: 41%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$105M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">PA (D)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: blue; float: left; width: 88%;"> .</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$106M</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="background: black; color: #ccc; width: 100%; border: 1px white solid;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">WI (R)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: green; float: left; width: 22%;">$26M</div>
<div style="background: red; float: left; width: 33%;">.</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$66M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 10%;">WI (D)</td>
<td style="height: 1em; width: 80%;">
<div style="background: blue; float: left; width: 36%;">.</div>
</td>
<td style="width: 10%;">$43M</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Earning some conservatives&#8217; ire was the fact that the Senate Leadership Fund spent $6 million opposing Republican Kelly Tshibaka in an effort to help moderate Republican incumbent Lisa Murkowski win. Because of Alaska&#8217;s ranked-choice voting system, the two Republicans are facing each other. Trump endorsed Tshibaka, but his super PAC did not pay for any ads in the race. Some Trump supporters believe that the $6 million would have been decisive if it was allocated to Arizona instead.</p>
<p>However, Masters already had a head start in outside spending thanks to billionaire Peter Thiel. Masters was supported by $53 million in super PAC spending, essentially tied with his opponent Mark Kelly, at $57 million. With spending so high already, it&#8217;s not clear that an extra $6 million would have made a difference. With 90% of votes counted as of Saturday night, <a href="https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/national/2022-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DecisionDeskHQ</a> has called the Arizona race for Kelly with a significant gap: 52% to 46%.</p>
<p>There was also no reason to assume that the $6 million would have been reallocated to Arizona instead of, say, Nevada, where Democrats were outspending Republican super PACs by a greater margin, and the race is <a href="https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/national/2022-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">far closer</a>. Additionally, it was Thiel who reportedly <a href="https://twitter.com/teddyschleifer/status/1591272582250385410" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backed away</a> from an additional $10 million in spending he was contemplating.</p>
<p>Trump&#8217;s own financial contribution to the Arizona Senate battle was $3.7 million, making up only 6% of Masters&#8217; outside cash. That&#8217;s despite Trump&#8217;s main PAC, Save America, taking in $107 million in the 2022 cycle, and having nearly <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00762591/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$70 million</a> in the bank as of October 19. If he had spent most of that money supporting his chosen Arizona candidate, Masters could have had double the super PAC spending of his opponent.</p>
<p>Instead, Trump set up a web page that purported to raise money for both himself and Masters. But hidden from the user — unless they clicked a toggle in the fine print — was the fact that for every $100 donated, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-spent-more-backing-trump-esque-candidates-in-primaries-than-trump-has" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$99 went to Trump and $1 went to Masters.</a> That&#8217;s despite Masters imminently facing a critical race and Trump not being on the ballot this year. Many donors may have refrained from giving directly to Masters after that, believing that they had already done their part.</p>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-453681" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/split4.png" alt="" width="465" height="512" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/10/split4.png 465w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/10/split4-272x300.png 272w" sizes=" (max-width: 465px) 100vw, 465px" /></div>
<p>Masters spokeswoman Katie Miller did not object to the arrangement, telling The Daily Wire: “Blake is extremely grateful for all of President Trump’s support both financial and his energy and time spent campaigning in Arizona.&#8221;</p>
<p>If Masters views financial parity as key to closing the gap in votes, it is hard to fault the insignificant gap in outside spending versus campaign dollars, where Masters himself came out woefully short: Masters raised $12 million compared to $79 million by Kelly, the worst ratio of any of the Trump-backed Senate candidates. Campaign donations are limited to about $5,000 and, coming from ordinary people, can be a proxy for grassroots support. Because of this cap, super PACs don&#8217;t donate to campaigns, but they get around it by spending money on the campaign independently — though the lack of coordination with the campaign can diminish the strategic value.</p>
<p>It is true that Masters appears to have been snubbed by some national politicians, but the same people did not withhold cash from similarly America First candidates like Vance. The snub also appeared to extend beyond McConnell: The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which donates roughly $46,000 directly to candidates, also did not give to Masters, though it gave to other Trump-endorsed candidates like Vance, Oz, and Walker. The NRSC is chaired by Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who is not necessarily a McConnell ally: He is leading the charge in the Senate to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-lawmakers-push-for-change-in-congressional-leadership-after-lackluster-midterms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">postpone leadership elections</a> rather than blindly re-electing McConnell.</p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-has-spent-more-money-opposing-georgia-republicans-than-he-has-supporting-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump Has Spent More Money Opposing Georgia Republicans Than He Has Supporting Them</a></strong></p>


Senate Moves Ahead On US Funding After Dropping Energy Bid

Is It True That McConnell Tanked Senate Races By Not Funding Candidates Like Masters?

2022 Election

Blake Masters

Elections

Mitch McConnell

Senate

<p>Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> (R) reportedly threw his wife Melania Trump under the bus Wednesday after the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate Republican nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz lost against the incredibly weak Democrat nominee, John Fetterman.</p>
<p>&#8220;Trump is indeed furious this morning, particularly about Mehmet Oz,&#8221; a quote in a Fox News report <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-furious-over-oz-losing-pennsylvania-blames-wife-melania-endorsement-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;and is blaming everyone who advised him to back Oz – including his wife, describing it as not her best decision.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;There are people pushing Trump to reschedule his announcement next week, and several Rs have texted asking whether he will, but it’s risky and would be acknowledging he’s wounded by yesterday, something that some of his advisers insist is not the case,&#8221; the quote continued. &#8220;Worth remembering that Trump is a grown man who endorsed Oz over the objection of some of the people closest to him, and instead went beyond just endorsing and attacked Dave McCormick from the stage at a rally.&#8221;</p>
<p>Trump has spent the day blaming others for many of his key candidates either losing or struggling to win their races, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-attacks-republican-u-s-senate-nominee-don-bolduc-for-losing-after-trump-endorsed-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blaming the candidates</a> themselves for not embracing conspiracy theories. He even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-celebrates-republicans-losing-key-u-s-senate-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrated</a> Republicans losing a key U.S. Senate race.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-boasts-of-big-victory-for-his-candidates-hes-leaving-something-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bulk of the winners</a> in the races Trump endorsed came from safely Republican districts, with 16 of the candidates actually having run uncontested. Election results also show that 13 Trump-endorsed candidates lost in highly competitive or closely watched races. Of the 219 wins referenced by Trump, only around a dozen of those races were extremely competitive.</p>
<p>Trump has also spent the day trying to downplay the historic night that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) had in his re-election, suggesting that the votes he got in the presidential race were more impressive than the votes DeSantis got in a gubernatorial race even though DeSantis&#8217; margin of victory was roughly 6X larger than Trump&#8217;s.</p>
<p>“Now that the Election in Florida is over, and everything went quite well, shouldn’t it be said that in 2020, I got 1.1 Million more votes in Florida than Ron D got this year, 5.7 Million to 4.6 Million?” Trump said on social media. “Just asking?”</p>
<p>Comparing turnout for midterm elections to turnout for presidential elections may not be instructive, as voter participation in presidential elections is always higher. A more useful comparison could be margin of victory.</p>
<p>In 2020, Trump won the state by 3.3 points or 371,686 votes. DeSantis won the state last night by 19.4 points or 1,507,081 votes</p>
<p>DeSantis won 62 of Florida’s 67 counties, including 59 counties by double digits. DeSantis won Miami-Dade County, the largest county in the state and a Democrat stronghold, by 11 points. He won Palm Beach County, the third largest county in the state and another Democrat stronghold, by three points.</p>
<p><em>Hank Berrien contributed to this report.</em></p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-attacks-desantis-i-got-more-votes-than-him-needs-to-be-more-gracious-to-me-i-won-his-primary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump Attacks DeSantis: I Got More Votes Than Him, Needs To Be ‘More Gracious’ To Me. I Won His Primary.</a></strong></p>


PALM BEACH, FL-NOVEMBER 8: Former President Donald Trump addres

Trump ‘Furious’ Over Dr. Oz Losing To Fetterman, Blames His Wife Melania: Report

Trump 'Furious' Over Dr. Oz Losing To Fetterman, Blames His Wife Melania: Report

2022 Midterms

Melania Trump

Pennsylvania

<p>Democrat John Fetterman has won the hotly contested <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a> Senate race against Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, according to a projection.</p>
<p>DecsionDeskHQ made the <a href="https://twitter.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/1590226618718785538">projection</a> at 1:15 a.m. on Wednesday.</p>
<p>&#8220;I will be the next U.S. senator from Pennsylvania thanks to all of you,&#8221; Fetterman told his supporters in a victory speech early Wednesday morning, adding, &#8220;This campaign has always been about fighting for everyone who&#8217;s ever been knocked down that ever got back up. This race is for the future of every community across Pennsylvania. &#8230; I&#8217;m proud of what we ran on.&#8221;</p>
<p>Oz called Fetterman Wednesday morning to concede the race, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mehmet-oz-calls-john-fetterman-officially-concede-pennsylvania-senate-race?intcmp=tw_pols" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Fox News.</p>
<p>&#8220;This morning I called John Fetterman and congratulated him. I wish him and his family all the best, both personally and as our next United States Senator,&#8221; Oz said in a statement to supporters.<em></p>
<p></em>&#8220;We are facing big problems as a country and we need everyone to put down their partisan swords and focus on getting the job done. With bold leadership that brings people together, we can create real change. As a Doctor, I always do my best to help others heal. That&#8217;s why I ran for Senate. I hope we begin the healing process as a nation soon,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The outcome concludes one of the most closely watched contests in this year’s </span><a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/2022-midterms"><span style="font-weight: 400;">midterm</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> election cycle. The race was marked by controversy over Fetterman&#8217;s health issues following his stroke in May. Two weeks before residents of the Keystone State took to the polls, Fetterman had provided </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/confident-oz-and-struggling-fetterman-clash-in-pennsylvania-senate-debate"><span style="font-weight: 400;">choppy responses</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> during the only debate as Oz pressed the current lieutenant governor and former mayor of Braddock on his left-leaning platform. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For months after the primary contests, polls </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/early-midterm-poll-has-dire-news-for-pennsylvania-republicans"><span style="font-weight: 400;">seemed to show</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Fetterman with a sizable lead over his celebrity surgeon rival. In the weeks leading up to the general election, however, Oz pulled into a dead heat with his opponent, with some polls placing him </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-pa-poll-shows-oz-with-4-5-point-lead-over-fetterman-mastriano-in-striking-distance"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ahead</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by slim margins.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oz, who had never run for public office, </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-winner-emerges-in-republican-primary-for-u-s-senate-seat-in-pennsylvania"><span style="font-weight: 400;">narrowly advanced</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from the Republican primary race against former Bush administration official and hedge fund executive David McCormick. The son of Turkish immigrants, Oz became the first Muslim to be nominated for a Senate seat by a major American political party. Meanwhile, Fetterman </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pennsylvania-democrats-pick-basketball-shorts-and-hoodie-clad-john-fetterman-over-rising-star-conor-lamb-in-senate-primary"><span style="font-weight: 400;">soundly defeated</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Congressman Conor Lamb and State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta in the Democratic primary, despite suffering a stroke mere days before Democrats cast their ballots.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fetterman, a six-foot-eight, 53-year-old politician, is known for wearing basketball shorts and a hoodie to campaign events. Although his doctor had </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hell-be-fine-pa-democratic-senate-nominee-cleared-by-doctor-to-campaign-after-suffering-a-stroke-days-before-primary"><span style="font-weight: 400;">published a letter</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> clearing him to run for office, Fetterman spent months away from the campaign trail. He then </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-john-fetterman-video-raises-questions-on-his-fitness-for-office-absolutely-cannot-debate-anyone"><span style="font-weight: 400;">stumbled and slurred</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> through remarks at multiple public appearances while his campaign </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-john-fettermans-wife-rushes-in-to-shield-him-from-a-question-about-debating-oz"><span style="font-weight: 400;">dodged questions</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> about whether Fetterman would debate Oz.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When the campaign’s sole debate finally took place, Oz repeatedly raised examples of conversations he has had with Pennsylvanians over the past several months, blasting Fetterman on his absence from the campaign and his refusal to release his medical records. Even with a closed captioning system positioned behind the moderators designed to aid his auditory processing, Fetterman struggled to remain coherent.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mainstream media outlets had generally downplayed Fetterman’s condition. His wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ableist-toward-the-disability-community-john-fettermans-wife-tells-nbc-to-apologize-for-asking-about-his-stroke"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rebuked</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> an NBC News journalist who reported that the nominee had problems understanding her even during small talk by calling for “some accountability” and labeling her “ableist.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fetterman stoked controversy as past comments and interviews surfaced throughout the campaign, showing that he has </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-for-decriminalizing-across-the-board-john-fetterman-has-repeatedly-nodded-to-woke-drug-policy"><span style="font-weight: 400;">nodded</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to drug decriminalization and monitored injection sites, as well as </span><a href="https://twitter.com/johnfetterman/status/1290280291458674689"><span style="font-weight: 400;">defended</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who is currently </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-and-republicans-join-forces-to-investigate-philadelphias-woke-district-attorney"><span style="font-weight: 400;">under investigation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from Republican and Democratic members of the Pennsylvania House for allegedly neglecting to enforce the city’s laws. In contrast to Oz’s success in the private sector, Fetterman received a salary of $1,800 during his tenure as mayor of Braddock, as well as five-figure annual allowances from his parents. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oz produced unease among some conservative Pennsylvanians due to his </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dr-oz-campaign-insists-he-has-always-been-pro-life-his-past-comments-indicate-otherwise"><span style="font-weight: 400;">uncertain</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> degree of support for abortion. During the debate, when moderators pressed Oz to reconcile his support of rape and incest exemptions with his pro-life position, the candidate said that he would leave all abortion policy to the states. Democrats nationwide relied upon the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade as a tailwind for producing high turnout.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Beyond social policy, surveys consistently showed that voters had their eyes on the economy and cost of living more than any other issues. One </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-midterm-poll-spells-bad-news-for-democrats-on-the-economy"><span style="font-weight: 400;">poll</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from ABC News and The Washington Post found that 84% of voters identified the economy as their top concern.</span></p>


John Fetterman/Mehmet Oz

John Fetterman Wins Hotly Contested PA Senate Race Against Dr. Oz: Projection

John Fetterman Defeats Dr. Oz In PA Senate Race: Projection

<p>Statewide candidates in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pennsylvania</a> are focusing on the suburbs of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/philadelphia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Philadelphia</a> on Election Day.</p>
<p>Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz and Democratic Lt. Governor John Fetterman are vying for the commonwealth’s open seat in the U.S. Senate, while Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano and Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro are competing in the gubernatorial race. While the former race is neck-and-neck and the latter favors the Democrat, all four candidates converged upon the outskirts of the City of Brotherly Love.</p>
<p>Former President Barack Obama joined President Joe Biden in a rally with both Democratic candidates in Philadelphia on Saturday, while former President Donald Trump campaigned alongside Oz in the western Pennsylvania city of Latrobe. Oz and Fetterman then hosted competing events in Bucks County on Sunday, according to a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/06/pennsylvania-fetterman-oz-midterm-elections-00065333" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Politico.</p>
<p>Oz held his final campaign event in Montgomery County on Monday evening, drawing a crowd of roughly 1,500 supporters, according to a statement from the candidate provided to The Daily Wire. “This election is our chance to put Pennsylvania and America back on the path to prosperity,” he remarked. “I believe that, together, we can make our streets safer. I believe we can have all-the-above energy solutions. I believe we can lower inflation and healthcare costs. And, most importantly, I believe in all of you to help save the soul of America.”</p>
<p>Mastriano held an <a href="https://twitter.com/Jules31415/status/1589737504462495744" target="_blank" rel="noopener">event</a> in Telford, a borough of Bucks and Montgomery County, on Monday evening. On Tuesday, both Shapiro and Oz cast their ballots at polling places in Montgomery County. The former candidate served as a member of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners before attaining his current post in Harrisburg.</p>
<p>“I am very proud of how we’ve run this campaign,” Oz said in another statement provided to The Daily Wire. “Pennsylvanians are sending a clear message to Washington: we want less radicalism and more balance.”</p>
<p>Oz has indeed criticized Fetterman for his left-leaning agenda while positioning himself as a moderate. During the nominees’ <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/confident-oz-and-struggling-fetterman-clash-in-pennsylvania-senate-debate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only debate</a> at the end of last month, Oz drilled his opponent on crime policy and immigration. When moderators pressed Oz to harmonize his support of rape and incest exemptions with his pro-life position, the candidate said that he would leave all abortion policy to the states should he gain a seat in Congress.</p>
<p>Biden defeated Trump in Montgomery County by 62.6% to 36.4%, according to <a href="https://www.electionreturns.pa.gov/General/CountyResults?countyName=Montgomery&amp;ElectionID=83&amp;ElectionType=G&amp;IsActive=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">records</a> from the Pennsylvania Department of State. The <a href="https://www.electionreturns.pa.gov/General/CountyResults?countyName=bucks&amp;ElectionID=83&amp;ElectionType=G&amp;IsActive=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">results</a> were much narrower in Bucks County, with Biden clinching 51.7% and Trump securing 47.3%, although the former commander-in-chief had won the area in 2016.</p>
<p>Abortion is a particularly salient issue in the Philadelphia suburbs. On the issue, which Fetterman contended is “healthcare” in the debate against Oz, Democrats are hoping for a windfall as voters react against the Supreme Court overturning <i>Roe v. Wade</i>.</p>
<p>Throughout the midterm election cycle, Democratic candidates have received criticism from inside and outside their institutions for discussing fringe issues while neglecting kitchen-table matters such as inflation and school choice. Third Way, a center-left think tank, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-democrats-admit-party-is-too-extreme-out-of-touch-with-what-voters-care-about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> on Monday that the Republicans maintain double-digit advantages over their rivals on the economy and immigration, with roughly 56% saying that Democrats “are not focused enough on the economy” and only 36% expressing the same about their opponents.</p>


President Biden And Former President Obama Campaign In Philadelphia For State’s Democratic Candidates

Philadelphia Suburbs Front And Center As Pennsylvania Candidates Make Final Push

Pennsylvania Candidates Zero In On Philadelphia Suburbs Heading Into Midterms

Philadelphia

<p><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a> Democratic lieutenant governor John Fetterman’s U.S. Senate campaign filed a lawsuit Monday against state election officials, arguing that mail ballots with an incorrect or blank date should be counted in Tuesday’s election.</p>
<p>Plaintiffs have asked a federal judge to order all mail ballots to be counted regardless of the date voters pen on the envelope. The lawsuit comes a week after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that officials should set aside and not count mail ballots with an incorrect or empty date.</p>
<p>”The date [requirement] imposes unnecessary hurdles that eligible Pennsylvanians must clear to exercise their most fundamental right, resulting in otherwise valid votes being arbitrarily rejected without any reciprocal benefit to the Commonwealth,” the <a href="https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/216-main29.pdf">lawsuit</a> reads.</p>
<p>Plaintiffs in the case argue that the date instruction has no relevance to determining whether an individual is qualified to vote under Pennsylvania law as long as voters cast ballots by the date of the election and meet the standard U.S. voter requirements.</p>
<p>The lawsuit alleges that election officials are rejecting “qualified voters who accidentally failed to write the date on their ballot envelope, and more still will be rejected when voters enter an incorrect date, such as their birthdate, instead of the date they completed or signed their ballot.”</p>
<p>Fetterman and his Republican opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz have been campaigning neck-to-neck for the congressional seat in the battleground state.</p>
<p>According to three separate polls from the Trafalgar Group, Big Data Poll, and InsiderAdvantage/FOX 29, Philadelphia voters have Oz up by two points in a race where every vote counts to determine the winner.</p>
<p>But without the support from state law to count mail ballots marked an incorrect or blank date, Democrats could likely lose tens of thousands of votes that would be thrown out.</p>
<p>Although it’s unclear how many ballots will be affected by the Supreme Court ruling, Democrats disproportionately use mail ballots over Republicans.</p>
<p>Democracy Docket <a href="https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/democrats-seek-to-intervene-in-pennsylvania-ballot-counting-lawsuit/">reports</a> that registered Democrats have returned 70% of approximately 14,000 mail-in and absentee ballots in Monroe County —  nearly four times the percentage ballots returned by Republican voters.</p>
<p>According to the lawsuit, Democrats argue that rejecting ballots without a correct date violates the First Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment, which says “a state cannot utilize election practices that unduly burden the right to vote.”</p>
<p>The Philadelphia Inquirer <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/john-fetterman-lawsuit-undated-mail-ballots-20221107.html?utm_source=t.co&amp;utm_campaign=Philly.com+Twitter+Account&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;cid=Philly.com+Twitter">reports</a> voting rights groups joined together to file a separate lawsuit in a Pittsburgh federal court following the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling last week, arguing that county officials should not be allowed to toss out such ballots under the Materiality Provision of the Civil Rights Act, which has secured victories in similar cases.</p>
<p>Federal court officials have yet to set a hearing for the lawsuit.</p>


PA Democratic Senate Candidate John Fetterman Campaigns Ahead Of Midterm Election

Fetterman Campaign Sues Pennsylvania Election Officials To Have Ballots Without Dates And Incorrect Dates Counted

<p><a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pennsylvania</a> Republican Senate candidate <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/mehmet-oz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Mehmet Oz</a> centered his final message to voters in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/pittsburgh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pittsburgh</a> upon energy production and fighting crime.</p>
<p>The celebrity heart surgeon, who is running against Pennsylvania Lt. Governor and Democratic nominee John Fetterman, has criticized his rival for embracing extreme positions and failing to hear the concerns of voters in the Keystone State. In an <a href="https://triblive.com/opinion/candidate-statement-dr-mehmet-oz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Oz vowed that he would advance policies supportive of law enforcement resources as the region is gripped by the fentanyl crisis and increased lawlessness.</p>
<p>“As violent crime increases in Western Pennsylvania, our communities have become less safe and businesses have become negatively impacted as a result,” Oz wrote. “To tackle crime, I will vote to fund our police and support communities with the resources they need to keep violent criminals off the streets and ensure vulnerable populations have the help they need.”</p>
<p>Crime in the Steel City has increased considerably over the past three years. Homicides spiked 26% between 2019 and 2020, while incidents of gun violence and dispatches for shots fired soared between 2020 and 2021, according to <a href="https://tableau.alleghenycounty.us/t/PublicSite/views/CJ_Overall_Violence_Trends_PGH_8-22-17_v2/Home?%3Aembed=y&amp;%3AshowAppBanner=false&amp;%3AshowShareOptions=true&amp;%3Adisplay_count=no&amp;%3AshowVizHome=no">data</a> from the City of Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>Oz also noted that “gas prices have gone through the roof and simple necessities like baby formula have become harder to get than fentanyl in our cities.” Indeed, western Pennsylvania is among the regions most impacted by the opioid crisis, with Allegheny County witnessing 719 overdose deaths last year, according to <a href="https://www.alleghenycounty.us/News/2022/6442478445.aspx#:~:text=PITTSBURGH%20%E2%80%93%20Dr.,of%20the%20Medical%20Examiner's%20office." target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from Chief Medical Examiner Karl Williams.</p>
<p>With respect to economic issues, Oz said that he would “fight to lower inflation and cut taxes” while working to “make Pennsylvania a leader in energy production.” Oz and Fetterman were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fetterman-called-out-for-attacks-on-fracking-cant-respond-when-asked-why-he-changed-views" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressed</a> during their only <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/confident-oz-and-struggling-fetterman-clash-in-pennsylvania-senate-debate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">televised debate</a> on whether they support fracking, a method of harvesting fossil fuels core to the economic prosperity of western Pennsylvania. The former pointed to fracking and natural gas production as mechanisms for expanding living standards in the commonwealth, while the latter insisted he has “always supported” fracking when confronted by the moderators with his past statements opposing the practice.</p>
<p>Throughout the midterm election cycle, Democratic candidates have received criticism from inside and outside their institutions for discussing fringe issues while neglecting kitchen-table matters such as inflation and school choice. Third Way, a center-left think tank, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-democrats-admit-party-is-too-extreme-out-of-touch-with-what-voters-care-about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> on Monday that the Republicans maintain double-digit advantages over their rivals on the economy and immigration, with roughly 56% saying that Democrats “are not focused enough on the economy” and only 36% expressing the same about their opponents.</p>
<p>“The results indicate that Democrats are underwater on issues voters name as their highest priorities,” a memo published by the group stated, “including the economy, immigration, and crime, they are perceived as distant from the electorate ideologically, and voters question whether the party shares essential values like patriotism and the importance of hard work.”</p>
<p>Democrats have staked their hopes on a pendulum-style reaction against the Supreme Court overturning <i>Roe v. Wade</i>. The issue of abortion, however, ranks a distant third among the issues most important to voters and is held at a similar level of priority as crime, an area in which Republicans also dominate.</p>


Former President Trump Holds Rally In Pennsylvania Ahead Of Midterms

Oz’s Closing Statement To Pittsburgh Voters: Less Crime, More Energy

Oz Makes Final Appeal To Pittsburgh Voters

Pittsburgh

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