Donald Trump endorses Mehmet Oz for US Senate in Pennsylvania
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in next month's Pennsylvania primary.
It was a bit of a weekend surprise, and not everyone is clear about what impact it will have.
Make no mistake. Almost every Republican wants Donald Trump's support, and many have strong ties to the former president and his White House team.
But in the end, it was celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz who got Trump's support.
Saying this is all about winning elections, former President Trump gave his "complete and total endorsement" to Mehmet Oz.
In a statement, Trump wrote, "Mehmet Oz will be the one most able to win the general election ... Women, in particular, are drawn to Dr. Oz for his advice and counsel ... Likewise, he will do very well in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, where other candidates will just not be accepted. "
"I don't know if it's a surprise necessarily. There's a string of relationships that tie Dr. Oz to Donald Trump," Bill Bretz, chair of the Westmoreland County Republican Party, told KDKA political editor Jon Delano on Monday.
Bretz, who comes from one of the vote-rich counties in this region, says he's not surprised by Trump's endorsement but says there's lots of time for the other candidates to make their cases to the voters.
"Donald Trump certainly has a big platform, so when he puts out an endorsement for somebody, it's going to make a headline, and the candidates should want to embrace that. But in a race like this, a highly contested race among several people, these endorsements can be divisive as much as they can be decisive," says Bretz.
In addition to Oz, the other GOP candidates include Kathy Barnette, Jeff Bartos, George Bochetto, Sean Gale, Dave McCormick and Carla Sands.
KDKA reached out to all, and former Trump Ambassador Sands had this comment.
"I think (former) President Trump may be getting bad advice, unfortunately, and I think that the voters are going to have to decide - who do they trust," says Sands.
Sean Parnell was former President Trump's first endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate before Parnell dropped out to fight for custody of his young children in a divorce battle.
Parnell said Trump's support meant a great deal.
"To me, it meant a lot because I was a political outsider, never intended to run for any political office," Parnell told KDKA's Jon Delano on Monday.
With Parnell out of the race, Trump has now endorsed Oz, calling Oz the Republican most able to win the general election.
<strong>Delano:</strong> "Did that surprise you?"
<strong>Parnell:</strong> "Yes, it was a little perplexing. I think it surprised me and most of the Republican party, specifically the base here in this state. My phone, Jon, has been ringing off the hook."
Parnell has endorsed McCormick, who says Oz is a Republican in name only.
"He has advocated for positions that are exactly the opposite of what (former) President Trump has stood for during his four years in office," says Parnell.
Oz, of course, disputes that but was not available for an interview.
Westmoreland County Republican chair Bretz says while Trump's endorsement carries clout, voters will make up their own minds.
"I think the most important thing for any candidate to do is get out there and connect with as many people as possible. Racking up endorsements - you can't replace grassroots efforts and meeting folks with endorsements and television commercials," says Bretz.
The primary is in just five weeks.