Oz Says He'd Support Trump in 2024, Hasn't Followed His Investigations

Dr. Mehmet Oz said that he would support Donald Trump if he decided to run again for president in 2024, but said he hasn't been closely following legal investigations into the former president.

When he was asked during a debate on Tuesday against Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman if he would back Trump if he ran in 2024, Oz said that he would "support whoever the Republican Party puts up."

When asked again if he would back Trump, who has endorsed him in the U.S. Senate race, Oz responded: "I would support Donald Trump if he decided to run for president, but this is bigger than one candidate. This is a much bigger story about how we are going to build a bigger tent so that more Americans feel safe."

In response to a subsequent question asking if he was concerned about the ongoing legal probes into the former president, Oz said that he hasn't "followed them very carefully."

"I've been campaigning pretty aggressively," he said. "They'll work themselves out. I have tremendous confidence in the American legal system. And I believe law and order will reign supreme."

Trump has yet to officially announce whether he will launch another bid for the White House, but has repeatedly teased a 2024 run. Speaking at a rally over the weekend in Texas, he said: "In order to make our country successful, safe and glorious again, I will probably have to do it again," seemingly referencing a 2024 campaign.

Trump added, "first we have to win a historic victory for the Republican Party this November," potentially indicating that such an announcement would come after the midterm elections.

The former president's apparent mulling of another presidential campaign comes as he's contending with several investigations.

They include New York Attorney General Letitia James' investigation into Trump and his business practices, the House committee's probe into the January 6 attack on the Capitol and Trump's actions surrounding the siege, and the Department of Justice's investigation into his handling of classified documents found in his Mar-a-Lago home.

While Oz expressed that he would back whoever becomes the Republican presidential nominee for 2024, he quickly pivoted to emphasizing that he wants to "bring balance to Washington."

"I want to bring us together to make this country do what it has always been able to do: unify not divide, and address the problems as a surgeon because in OR [operating room] that's what I do," he said. "I just fix the big problem in front of me."

Newsweek has reached out to Oz's campaign and a Trump spokesperson for comment.

Updated 10/25/22, 11:10 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and background.