Fresh Off Crudités-Gate, Dr. Oz Campaign Mocks Pa. Senate Rival John Fetterman's Stroke with Veggies Comment

Aaron Parsley
·3 min read
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Bonnie Biess/Getty

John Fetterman had a bit of fun — and raised a lot of money — with a viral video of Dr. Mehmet Oz's peculiar shopping trip for crudités at a so-called "Wegners" supermarket.

Now, a campaign official for the celebrity doctor, who is running for Senate in Pennsylvania, hit back at his Democratic rival by serving up fresh veggies commentary that mocked Fetterman's recent stroke.

"If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn't have had a major stroke and wouldn't be in the position of having to lie about it constantly," Rachel Tripp, Oz's senior communications adviser, told Insider in an interview.

Lt. Gov. Fetterman, 53, suffered a stroke days before Pennsylvania's Democratic primary in May and underwent a procedure to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator. His doctor later revealed he has atrial fibrillation, which caused the stroke, and cardiomyopathy, which is why he got the implant.

Earlier this month, Fetterman returned to the campaign trail and told supporters he was "grateful" and "feeling great, better than I have in years" in an emotional speech.

RELATED: Pa. Senate Candidate John Fetterman Is 'Grateful' at First Appearance Since Stroke: 'My Life Could Have Ended'

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks during a rally at the UFCW Local 1776 KS headquarters in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., on Saturday, April 16, 2022.
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks during a rally at the UFCW Local 1776 KS headquarters in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., on Saturday, April 16, 2022.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty

Fetterman responded to the Oz campaign's swipe at his stroke in a post on Twitter.

"I had a stroke. I survived it. I'm truly so grateful to still be here today," he tweeted. "I know politics can be nasty, but even then, I could *never* imagine ridiculing someone for their health challenges."

RELATED: Snooki Shades Pennsylvania Senate Candidate Dr. Oz: 'Heard You Moved from N.J. to Pa. to Look for a New Job'

In Oz's now-infamous video, the celebrity doctor appeared at Redner's, a Pennsylvania-based supermarket company that he mistakenly called "Wegners." Oz, who has the support of former President Donald Trump, said he wanted to get ingredients for his wife to make crudités, and he began grabbing items off the shelves, including broccoli, asparagus and carrots, totaling $10.

Sen. Candidate John Fetterman Uses Dr. Oz’s Viral Supermarket Gaffe to Call Out the Celebrity’s Privilege
Sen. Candidate John Fetterman Uses Dr. Oz’s Viral Supermarket Gaffe to Call Out the Celebrity’s Privilege

Dr. Mehmet Oz/Twitter

He then grabbed guacamole and a tub of fresh salsa, bringing the total up. "Guys, that's $20 for crudités and this doesn't include the tequila," Oz said. "This is outrageous and we've got Joe Biden to thank for this."

RELATED: Sen. Candidate John Fetterman Uses Dr. Oz's Viral Supermarket Gaffe to Call Out the Celebrity's Privilege

Fetterman used the video to tap into a larger theme of his rivalry with Oz, whom he's relentlessly called out for being an out-of-touch transplant from New Jersey.

"In PA we call this a... veggie tray," Fetterman wrote on Twitter Aug. 15, emphasizing Oz's fancy term for a platter of vegetables.

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Fetterman — who's currently in the lead, according to a recent poll — even offered up a limited-edition sticker "to honor Dr. Oz's love for crudité and Wegners" for contributors to his campaign.