Dr. Oz denies report of Trump regret during campaign stop at Westmoreland Fair

Dr. Mehmet Oz rejected media reports that surfaced over the weekend that suggested former President Donald Trump had soured on his U.S. Senate candidacy.

“It’s not true. It’s not true at all. He’s been very supportive, offering advice. His team has been helpful as well, and he’ll be coming to Pennsylvania Sept. 3,” Oz said Monday during a campaign stop at the Westmoreland Fair.

A celebrity heart surgeon, Oz is running against Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in November to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey.

Oz met with visitors and vendors during a two-hour appearance at the county fair.

Dressed in a blue golf shirt and jeans, Oz walked through the midway, taking pictures with some people and talking with others, including Marny McLee and his wife, Jacqueline, of Latrobe.

The McLees said Monday’s visit was their first to the county fair.

“He probably saw my shirt and asked me what I did in the military and my deployment,” Marny McLee said. “He asked why I thought suicides in the service is increasing.”

The McLees, both Democrats, work as special education instructors. They said they were surprised by their interaction with Oz and still undecided about how they will vote this fall.

“You can tell how personal he is,” Marny McLee said.

Oz’s visit was his second to the county fairgrounds this year. In the days that led up to the May primary, Oz appeared at the fairgrounds for a campaign rally with Trump.

Monday’s visit was a more intimate affair and one that the Oz campaign hopes will solidify Westmoreland County success on Election Day. He said he sees the county, with its more than 120,000 Republican voters, as a key for his race against Fetterman.

“Westmoreland County is mission critical. If you are going to win as a Republican in Pennsylvania, you better do well in Westmoreland County,” Oz said.

Bob Gettemy, the superintendent of the llama barn at the fairgrounds, led Oz on a tour through the midway, something he has been doing for years with Republican and Democratic candidates.

“I’ll take anyone around. I don’t vote Republican or Democrat. I vote for what’s in here,” Gettemy said as he pointed to his head, but he noted that he favors Oz’s candidacy. “This country needs a change.”

For a short time, Gettemy took a back seat to 5-year-old Penny Kaufman of Delmont. She excitedly told Oz about her goats as he stopped to talk with her parents. The family led Oz and his entourage, including numerous elected officials and political leaders, to the barns to see Gidget and Clementine, the goats she showed at the fair.

Kaufman’s mother, Angie, as she stood off to the side and watched Penny and her younger daughter, Margie, interact with Oz, said she doesn’t follow politics.

“I watched Dr. Oz on television when I was a child. It’s nice to see him strike up a conversation with a child,” Angie Kaufman said.

Oz had a more politically engaged audience when he addressed dozens of campaign workers and Republican committee members at the GOP’s fair booth.

Oz spoke for about 10 minutes as he rebutted claims about his record and qualifications made by the Fetterman campaign that have focused on his recent relocation from New Jersey. Oz told the crowd he grew up south of Philadelphia, went to medical school at the University of Pennsylvania and now lives in the home where he was married 37 years ago.

“This is some ammo for you. When people say I’m not from here, it’s BS. It’s an attempt to muddy the waters and not let people see clearly the choices they have,” Oz said. “My opponent clearly has a different perspective on this. He believes in big government. I believe in you.”

Fetterman, who has slowly returned to the campaign trail in recent weeks after suffering a stroke just before the May primary, is scheduled to appear for an event Tuesday in Pittsburgh at the United Steelworkers International headquarters.