In the current pop culture, it is difficult to suss out the truth from fiction. When all public servants need to do to get elected is be a television personality, it’s not hard to see why.
The most recent of these figures is none other than talk show host, Dr. Oz. In the past couple of years, the host of The Dr. Oz Show has made his political aspirations evident. In 2022, Oz left his series in a bid to run for the Pennsylvania senate race, which President-Elect Donald Trump endorsed him for. At the time, America was spared the appointment when Rep. John Fetterman beat him in the election. Fetterman flipped the seat to Democratic after the retirement of Republican Senator Pat Toomey.
Out of Oz’s many policies, he has been criticized for his opinions regarding COVID-19.
“The government mandated policies that caused unnecessary suffering. The public was patronized and misled instead of empowered,” Oz was reported as saying by NPR. This is a decisive view that makes him a controversial choice for public office. It should therefore come as no surprise when Trump nominated him for a cabinet position in 2024. Trump released a statement about the appointment per CNN.
“I have known Dr. Oz for many years, and I am confident he will fight to ensure everyone in America receives the best possible Healthcare, so our Country can be Great and Healthy Again!”
Oz will now be in charge of Medicaid and Medicare services. While he may have experience in healthcare, the large concern surrounding this appointment is that he has no government experience. This is par for the course for many of Trump’s appointments in the recent days. What Oz does have in spades is loyalty to a Trump presidency and aligned views on COVID. The talk show host supported the use of hydroxychloroquine to fight the disease while there was no research indicating that it would be effective.
If another pandemic comes about during this presidency, this could be catastrophic. Oz’s advocacy for alternative medicines also raises some eyebrows in the community. Oz joins Trump’s other appointment Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for making misleading claims about health to the general public. It makes one wonder if he is a doctor at all.
Did Dr. Oz go to medical school?
Viewers have known Dr. Oz for a long time for his eponymous television series, but some may not know his true credentials. According to PBS, Oz isn’t just a television personality. He does in fact have a doctorate as well.
Full name Mehmet Oz, the future doctor was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and eventually went on to Harvard. He got his medical degree and an MBA in business at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Wharton Business School, respectively. During his career, Oz has authored his self-help YOU book series and is Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University. His biggest claim to fame is The Dr. Oz Show, which ran for 13 seasons from 2009 to 2022. The end of the series coincided with the 2022 election cycle and began a new phase in his career. Now Oz has become another component of the waking nightmare that is politics. Thanks, America.