- Oz, Fetterman regularly referred to each other as liars about their past statements on various issues.
- Oz stayed away from bringing up Fetterman’s health troubles.
- Fetterman struggled when pressed by moderators about contradicting comments on fracking.
WASHINGTON – Pennsylvania Senate candidates John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz met for their first and probably only debate Tuesday, a showdown shadowed by Fetterman’s recovery from a stroke, in a closely-watched race that Democrats hope to flip as they look to keep control of the Senate
Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz in September finally agreed to a single debate after months of back and forth on rules and regulations. Oz, a celebrity surgeon-turned-politician, claimed Fetterman was ducking debates in part because he remained ill from a stroke he suffered in May.
In lieu of a traditional debate, Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate candidates have so far duked it out on social media, trolling each other with viral memes attacking each others’ policies, health and commitment to the state.
After Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., announced his retirement, Democrats saw a chance to flip the swing state’s Senate seat blue, making the race between Fetterman and Oz one of the most competitive and consequential races in the country. With a 50-50 Senate split, control of the chamber could hinge on a single race.
Fetterman leads Oz by about 4 percentage points, an average of recent polls by analysis site FiveThirtyEight shows.
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Oz closing statement
Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz in his closing statement said he has visited all four corners of Pennsylvania and has heard the concerns of voters.
“I’m a surgeon. I’m not a politician. We take big problems. We focus on them and we fix them. We do it by uniting by coming together, not dividing,” Oz said.
He closed with a question to voters: “If you take what I’m saying to heart, ask yourself this and others in your family, are you unhappy with where America is headed?”
— Candy Woodall
Fetterman closes by saying he wants to fight for ‘forgotten communities” – doesn’t mention stroke.
Fetterman closed by saying he wants to join the Senate to fight for ordinary people and his entire political career has been about “fighting for forgotten communities” all across Pennsylvania.
He did not mention the stroke.
– David Jackson
Fetterman wants to promote vocational education; doesn’t really say how
Fetterman said he wants to promote more vocational education because traditional college “isn’t for everybody.”
But he provided few specifics on how he can help more people find vocational training.
– David Jackson
Fetterman on higher education
Democrat John Fetterman said there needs to be significant investment in higher education and affordable public university education in every state.
“It costs too much and I believe providing the resources to…reduce the tuition allow families to be able to afford it,” he said.
Fetterman did not elaborate on specific details as to how costs would be lowered.
— Candy Woodall
Oz endorses vocational training
The GOP nominee said trade unions play an important role in raising the importance of vocational education and that he benefited from such in Westmoreland.
Oz said it is the “smartest way to invest our tax dollars” and would “turn up twice as many children who have a job as soon as they graduate.”
— Phillip M. Bailey
Oz says he can reduce cost of higher education; doesn’t really say how
Oz said he can reduce the cost of higher education, but did not provide specifics beyond “electronic classes” for remote learning and “pushing for more value” from colleges and universities.
– David Jackson
Oz demands Fetterman apologize to Black jogger
One of the biggest controversies of this contest for months has been the GOP attacking Fetterman for brandishing a shotgun to detain an unarmed Black man when he was mayor.
Fetterman, according to the police report, told officers he heard gunshots and saw the man running. He said during the debate that he was the chief law enforcement officer of Braddock, and that “an overwhelming majority” of people in the Black community “understood what happened.”
“Why not apologize,” Oz repeated.
— Phillip M. Bailey
Fetterman on Social Security
Democrat John Fetterman said he would defend Social Security if he’s elected to the Senate.
He said he would fight against Republicans who would cut Medicare and Social Security.
Fetterman said he would vote to support and expand Social Security.
— Candy Woodall
Oz: U.S. not ‘projecting strength’ on China
Oz said the U.S. needs to get tougher on Chinese trade policies and militarism, saying the U.S. and Biden administration are not “projecting strength” against its adversary.
– David Jackson
Oz on a Trump 2024 run
When asked if he would support a Trump 2024 presidential run, Dr. Mehmet Oz said he would support whoever the Republican nominee is at the time.
Oz was pressed about why he wouldn’t fully commit support to a Trump run.
“Oh, I do. I will support Donald Trump if he decided to run for president,” Oz said.
But he emphasized that “this is bigger than one candidate.”
— Candy Woodall
Fetterman: China is not our friend
Asked what is the greatest foreign threat to the U.S., Fetterman focused exclusively on the rise of China’s global influence.
“I believe China is not our friend,” he said.
Fetterman quickly turned his comments to Oz, saying that the TV doctor “has chosen to manufacture all of his merchandise on his name” in the foreign country.
— Phillip M. Bailey
Fetterman defends de-criminalization of drugs
Fetterman defended his proposals to de-criminalize most drugs by saying the government has wasted too much money and hurt too many people with its war on drugs.
– David Jackson
Fetterman on secure border
Democrat John Fetterman said “a secure border can be compatible with compassion.”
He said a comprehensive and bipartisan solution for immigration is needed.
“I don’t ever recall in the Statue of Liberty that they say, ‘Take our tired huddled masses, put them on a bus and use cheap political stunts,” Fetterman said.
— Candy Woodall
Oz highlights immigration story, pivots to drugs
Oz said he understands the challenges immigrants coming to the U.S. face given that his parents were immigrants. But he said voters have little tolerance for illegal immigration, which he tied to illegal drugs.
“I understand what legal immigration offers us but the completely porous open nature of our border, which John Fetterman supports, has created a humanitarian crisis with cartels profiting,” Oz said.
— Phillip Bailey
Oz on gun control bill
Dr. Mehmet Oz said he would have tried to improve the gun control bill Republican Sen. Pat Toomey voted for.
“There are things that I think most of us appreciate. I wasn’t there at the time, so I can’t speak to what was possible,” Oz said.
— Candy Woodall
Oz hits Fetterman on crime in the city where he was mayor
Oz again hit Fetterman on the crime issue, citing rising crime rates in the city of Braddock when he was mayor.
“The city was dangerous under your leadership,” Oz told the ex-mayor, though Fetterman supporters said he is distorting the statistics.
— David Jackson
Fetterman pressed on crime
The moderators called attention to how Republicans have slammed Fetterman as someone who is “dangerously” soft on crime.
In response, he pointed to his time as mayor of Braddock and fighting against gun violence at the local level. He also called out Oz’s lack of experience on the subject.
“All he’s done is just put a plan up on his website…He has no experience. He has never made any attempt to try to address crime,” Fetterman said.
— Phillip M. Bailey
Fetterman clarifies view on fracking
Democrat John Fetterman was asked whether his position has changed on fracking, with the interviewer comparing past comments to recent comments.
“I do support fracking,” he said.
He made comments in years past that he did not support it.
Fetterman repeated multiple times during the debate that he supports fracking.
— Candy Woodall
What is fracking and is it harmful?:Key terms and negative effects of fracking, explained.
Oz: I support fracking, haven’t changed position
Oz claimed he has consistently supported the fracking of natural gas, despite previous statements that expressed skepticism of the practice. Opponents have accused him of flip-flopping on the issue that is important to Pennsylvania.
– David Jackson
Fetterman: Move to Vermont?
After Oz accused Fetterman of supporting “socialized medicine” and his allyship with Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, the lieutenant governor pushed back.
Fetterman said Oz embraced Sanders when the senator appeared on his television program years ago.
“You know what? Why don’t you pretend that you live in Vermont instead of Pennsylvania and run against Bernie Sanders because all you can do is talk about Bernie Sanders,” he said.
Fetterman added he believes health care is a fundamental and basic rights and that he will fight to expand it if elected.
— Phillip Bailey
Oz responds to questions about ‘unproven and potentially dangerous treatments’
Dr. Mehmet Oz was asked about criticisms that portray him as peddling “unproven and potentially dangerous treatments.”
Oz said he has met people all across Pennsylvania who have thanked him for giving them life-saving advice.
He turned the conversation to Fetterman by saying the socialized medicine he supports is dangerous.
— Candy Woodall
Fetterman: My doctor says ‘I’m fit to serve’
Fetterman cited his doctor’s statement that he is “fit to serve’ in the Senate despite his stroke – but he did not say whether her would release his full medical records to underscore the point, despite a repeated request from the moderator.
– David Jackson
More:John Fetterman, improving from stroke, can work ‘full duty in public office,’ doctor says
Traveling for abortion access
Fetterman was asked by moderators if he would support using federal funds to help women who live in states where abortion is banned go to states where it is still permitted.
The lieutenant governor was blunt.
“I would, because I believe abortion rights is a universal right for all women in America,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman added that he feels abortion is health care and should be looked at as a private matter between a woman and her doctor.
— Phillip M. Bailey
Fetterman supports Roe v. Wade
When asked if he would support any limits on abortion, Democrat John Fetterman said he would support the protections in Roe v. Wade.
“That was the law of the land for 50 years,” Fetterman said.
— Candy Woodall
Oz: Abortion should be a state issue
Oz dodged the abortion issue, saying the states should decide abortion policy. Oz said he wouldn’t support federal legislation on abortion, and accused Fetterman of distorting his views on the issue. The doctor said he doesn’t oppose all abortions, but didn’t specify when he would allow them.
– David Jackson
Abortion sheds light on candidate differences
Fetterman said he supports codifying reproductive rights into federal law, and that he wants to look into the face of Pennsylvania women and ask them if they want Oz to have a say over their bodies.
“(Oz) celebrated when Roe v. Wade went down,” Fetterman said.
— Phillip M. Bailey
Oz says federal government shouldn’t decide abortion
Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon and TV talk show host, had to answer a question on abortion his opponent has accused him of avoiding.
Oz is anti-abortion but supports exceptions for rape, incest and the mother’s health. When asked if he would support a national ban, he did not give a yes or no answer.
“I am not going to support federal rules that block the ability of states to do what they wish to do. The abortion decision should be left up to the states,” Oz said.
— Candy Woodall
Previously:Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, eliminating constitutional right to abortion
Oz: ‘Market forces’ can drive up minimum wages
Oz said he wants the $7.25-an-hour minimum wage to go up “as far as it can do” – but not necessarily through government fiat. Reducing regulations, he said, will enable businesses to pay more to their employees.
“Market forces should drive it up any way,” Oz said.
– David Jackson
$15 minimum wage is too low, Oz says
Oz said the free market has helped increase wages, and that his Democratic rival is “shooting too low.”
Oz said Pennsylvania has enough “energy beneath our feet” to help raise wages, and that $15 an hour isn’t enough but that a government mandate isn’t the way to do it.
— Phillip M. Bailey
Fetterman supports $15 minimum wage
Democrat John Fetterman said he would support raising federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
The current $7.25 an hour rate is “a disgrace,” he said.
“I believe every work has dignity, and every paycheck must have dignity in it as well,” Fetterman said.
— Candy Woodall
Fetterman: Push back against corporate ‘price gouging’
Fetterman attacked “price gouging” by corporations, blaming Republicans like Oz; he particularly went after oil companies, blaming them for higher gas prices – a big campaign issue against Democrats. His solution: Tighter regulations and more taxes on corporations.
– David Jackson
Gas prices hitting Pennsylvanians hard, Oz says
When the discussion turned to the cost to fill up at the pump, Oz said Fetterman has gone overboard by criticizing energy companies amid rising gas prices. The TV doctor said the’s “witnessed people say I’m not going on vacation” because they cannot afford the trip.”
— Phillip M. Bailey
Oz accuses Fetterman of raising taxes
Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, in an opening salvo, accused his Democratic opponent John Fetterman of raising taxes as mayor and lieutenant governor.
“He tried to raise taxes as a lieutenant governor 46%,” Oz said. “Your supported Joe Biden’s recent tax rate increase, and he’s done that without paying his own taxes 67 times.”
— Candy Woodall
Fetterman: Oz is lying about my taxes
Fetterman said Oz lied when he said he had not paid taxes; he said there was once a dispute over a non-profit company.
– David Jackson
Oz leads on crime
Oz started the debate by saying he will bring civility back to D.C., adding that Republicans and Democrats can work together.
The Republican nominee also said Fetterman “has been trying to get as many murderers convicted and sentenced to life in prison out of jail as possible.”
— Phillip M. Bailey
First question kicks off Oz-Fetterman debate
The first question in one of the most anticipated U.S. Senate debates in the 2022 midterms went to John Fetterman, who had to answer what qualifies him to be a U.S. senator.
He chose to use it as a moment to go on offense against his opponent and also address “the elephant in the room.”
“I had a stroke. He’s never let me forget that,” Fetterman said, warning the audience he may mess up some words.
Fetterman, the Pennsylvania lieutenant governor and Democratic nominee running to flip the seat held by retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, said he might get knocked down because of his lingering speech issues from his May stroke but he’ll keep getting back up.
— Candy Woodall
Fetterman team says Oz campaign rejects media access to see closed captioning
The Fetterman campaign team requested media access on site at the debate for pool reporters to see closed captioning in real time that will be used by John Fetterman, who uses the tool while recovering from stroke-related audio processing issues, the Democrat’s campaign said Tuesday.
Oz denied the request, according to Fetterman campaign spokesman Joe Cavello.
An Oz campaign spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions seeking comment.
Cavello said the Fetterman team wanted reporters to see the same captions Oz and Fetterman would see.
— Candy Woodall
Fetterman to get a boost from Biden, Harris and Obama
Democrat John Fetterman will get a boost from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the days after his first, and likely only, Senate debate.
Biden and Harris will fundraise with Fetterman Friday during a Democratic Party dinner in Pennsylvania.
Former President Barack Obama and Biden will return a week later to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to campaign for Fetterman and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro on Saturday, Nov. 5.
— Candy Woodall
Does Oz’s TV experience give him an edge?
For almost 13 years, Oz has been a popular television doctor and host, known for his empathetic style.
That could serve him well Tuesday as he looks to fight off Democratic attacks that his wealth puts him out of touch with average voters.
Democrats and their allies have simultaneously cast Fetterman, the former mayor of Braddock, as an “everyman” who speaks like regular people, setting up a major contrast during the debate.
– Phillip M. Bailey
Key Senate races:Midterm election races will determine who controls the Senate: Here are 8 to watch
Debate strategy: Fetterman to stress ‘working people’; Oz to emphasize crime
Like previous debaters in other states, Fetterman and Oz are signaling their strategies via social media.
Fetterman indicated he will argue that his economic policies are designed to benefit working people, while Oz favors only the wealthy.
“My plan would cut taxes for working people while making the rich finally pay their fair share like the rest of us,” Fetterman said in a tweet. “Oz’s plan would cut taxes for mega-millionaire$ like himself while raising tax rates on working families.”
Fetterman also figures to address his health situation after a stroke earlier this year. “If you’ve ever overcome a major health challenge (or are dealing with one right now), know that you are not alone,” the Pennsylvania lieutenant governor said in another tweet.
Oz did not address Fetterman’s health in his pre-debate tweets. Instead, he indicated he would continue attacking Fetterman over prison reform and crime, including his law enforcement record while mayor of Braddock.
“Unlike John Fetterman, I will always put Pennsylvanians over criminals,” Oz said in a tweet.
– David Jackson
Troll campaign:John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz exchange viral memes over traditional debate
Fetterman’s health could help or hurt
Fetterman suffered a stroke two days before the May primary, and it’s been a source of controversy ever since.
The Oz campaign pounced on the Democrat’s health in August when a spokesperson said if Fetterman had “eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn’t have had a major stroke.”
This month, in a statement to USA TODAY, the Oz campaign called out how Fetterman still hasn’t released his full medical records.
If Fetterman, who still struggles with processing words, falters, it could be something the GOP or conservative activists seize upon and create a viral moment.
But Fetterman’s performance Tuesday also could be a rallying point among voters as a sign of perseverance, especially for stroke survivors and their families, who’ve defended his use of closed caption in interviews.
– Phillip M. Bailey
Oz, Fetterman in dead heat ahead of first debate
Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz are squaring off in their first and only debate Tuesday as the Pennsylvania Senate race is beginning to tighten.
A new CBS News/YouGov poll, released Tuesday, shows Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor, with a 2-point lead over Oz, a celebrity doctor, among likely voters.
The survey shows Fetterman carrying 51% versus Oz holding 49% with a 4.4% margin of error.
Fetterman had been up by as much as 11% in a previous survey.
– Phillip M. Bailey
Someone to identify with:As Fetterman prepares to debate Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania Senate race, stroke survivors see themselves in him
How Oz tightened Pennsylvania Senate race with Fetterman
The race for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat this year was once considered Fetterman’s to lose, as Oz found himself on the ropes. Now Oz appears to have launched a comeback, narrowing the poll gap.
From being trolled by Fetterman on social media over referring to a supermarket veggie tray as “crudités,” Oz has now attracted millions of dollars from national political action committees. He has a barrage of ads running against his opponent, has the media joining him in asking for the Democrat’s health records and has effectively cut Fetterman’s lead to a few points – within the margin of error.
Is the momentum really shifting in Oz’s favor or is the race-tightening just typical midterm politics in a battleground state after Labor Day?
“That’s the million-dollar question,” said Jessica Taylor, Cook Political Report Senate editor.
– Candy Woodall
Who is Mehmet Oz?
Celebrity surgeon and TV host Mehmet Oz, better known as Dr. Oz, won Pennsylvania’s Republican U.S. Senate nomination in June.
Though Oz, 62, is best known for his television program “The Dr. Oz Show,” which ended when his Senate bid began, his campaign gained attention with the April endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
The son of immigrants from Turkey to the U.S., Oz was born in Ohio, raised in Delaware and has called New Jersey his home for decades – a point his opponent’s campaign has belabored in its effort to paint the Republican Senate nominee as a fake Pennsylvanian.
He has an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and an M.B.A. from the Wharton Business School, his biography states.
– Ella Lee, Orlando Mayorquin
Who is Dr. Mehmet Oz?:What to know about ex-TV show host running for Pennsylvania Senate
Who is John Fetterman?
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s political rise began in Braddock, Pennsylvania, where as mayor he was credited with breathing life back into the hollowed-out steel town.
He ran for Senate the first time in 2016 but failed to get past the Democratic primary. He remained mayor until he became lieutenant governor in 2019. In state office, Fetterman has championed legalizing recreational marijuana and served as the chair of the state’s pardon board.
Throughout his 2022 Senate campaign, the 6-foot-8, tattooed and suit-averse candidate has advocated for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 or higher, transitioning to renewable energy “as quickly as possible” to combat climate change and legalizing marijuana nationally.
Fetterman suffered a stroke in May that left him hospitalized on primary election night and off the campaign trail for months, which his opponent’s campaign has painted as a weakness.
– Ella Lee, Orlando Mayorquin
Who is John Fetterman?:What to know about the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania Senate
What do the polls show?
Fetterman’s once large lead over Oz has steadily shrunk since September, an average of recent polls by analysis site FiveThirtyEight shows.
Though the Pennsylvania Democrat once had more than 10 percentage points on his Republican opponent, Fetterman now polls less than 4 points ahead of Oz.
– Ella Lee
USA TODAY exclusive:Democrat Fetterman hangs onto 6-point lead over GOP’s Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania Senate race
Of veggie trays and votes
The Tuesday debate is giving Democrat John Fetterman an opportunity to replay one of his campaign’s greatest hits – capitalizing on his Republican opponent’s produce gaffe.
Oz went viral for the wrong reasons, by political standards, in the summer when a video showed him in a grocery store (whose name he mispronounced) and buying crudites, the fancy French description of a veggie tray.
“He is not a person who understands inflation,” Fetterman said in an interview with USA TODAY. “This is a guy that has demonstrated that he doesn’t even know how to shop for groceries.”
— Candy Woodall
Wegners?: Oz confuses Wegmans, Redner’s in odd video on shopping for crudités
Oz launches crime agenda before debate
Oz launched a 22-point plan to fight crime a day before his first and only debate with Democrat Fetterman.
His plan focuses on reducing drug crimes, increasing federal resources for safer streets, sentencing reform and more, and it fits into a national strategy among Republicans who are making crime a central issue.
An influx of cash from national Republicans and millions of dollars spent on TV ads that were designed to make Fetterman appear soft on crime helped Oz move the political needle in his favor, tightening polls from about double digits to within margins of error.
“Dr. Oz has put forth a plan to fight crime through policies that increase resources for local law enforcement, improve crime prevention programs, and support relief for drug users. These are real solutions to address mounting issues of crime from the smallest retail theft to devastating homicide,” Oz spokesperson Brittany Yanick said in a statement.
— Candy Woodall
When is the debate?
The debate between Fetterman and Oz is slated to begin at 8 p.m. ET and last an hour.
It will be hosted by Nexstar Media at a Harrisburg, Pennsylviana, affiliate news studio.
– Ella Lee
Pennsylvania Senate race:How Dr. Oz tightened Pa. Senate race with Fetterman. Is it a warning sign for Democrats?
