Dr Oz Compares Philadelphia's Homeless to 'Zombies'

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the GOP candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania, compared homeless people to "zombies" in a speech that has been criticized for a lack of compassion.

"Go down to downtown Philadelphia—I see a little bit in Pittsburgh now too, but more in Philadelphia—there are whole blocks, multiple blocks and areas you can't go," Oz told a crowd gathered in Monroeville, near Pittsburgh, on Monday.

"There are addicts walking like zombies into the street with needles sticking out of their necks," he said.

Many social media users questioned the way that Oz, who was a cardiothoracic surgeon before becoming a TV personality, talked about people dealing with addiction and substance abuse.

"Not a doctor I'd want as my own. Compassion?," wrote one Twitter user in reply to a clip from the speech.

"His lack of compassion is disgusting," posted another.

Newsweek has contacted Oz for comment.

Some commenters said Oz did not know what he was talking about because he is an outsider from New Jersey. This narrative has been also promoted by his Democratic rival John Fetterman, who has mocked the celebrity surgeon-turned-politician for not being a local.

"This is 100% inaccurate. If Dr Oz was from Philly, maybe he'd know that," one Twitter user posted, suggesting that Fetterman's swipes at Oz have struck a chord with voters in Pennsylvania.

"New Jersey tourist gets to see lots of PA," wrote another.

The backlash over Oz's Monroeville speech is the latest talking point in a Senate race that has been marked by the two candidates taking potshots at each other.

Oz has criticized Fetterman's liberal policies, releasing an ad that suggested his rival had some "screws loose."

The GOP nominee has also made disparaging comments about Fetterman's health, labeling him a "basement bum" after the Democratic candidate took time off from his campaign to recover from a stroke in May.

Oz's senior communications adviser Rachel Tripp went further, blaming Fetterman for his health problems in a statement that sparked a huge backlash.

"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," Tripp said.

Oz did not condemn his aide but tried to distance himself from her comment, saying: "My position is: I can only speak to what I'm saying."

Fetterman, who has been Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor since 2019, has repeatedly mocked Oz for being out of touch with local people.

Earlier this month, the Democrat's campaign raised $500,000 after a video of Oz mispronouncing the name of a grocery store—"Wegner's" rather than Redner's—and lamenting the rising price of "crudités" resurfaced and went viral.

A poll of Pennsylvania voters conducted between August 15 and August 18 by the Trafalgar Group found Fetterman was 5 percentage points ahead of Oz with 48.4 percent of the vote to the Republican's 43.5 percent.