Dr. Mehmet Oz has been one of America’s most respected medical doctors and a celebrated on-air physician – until he announced his candidacy as a Republican for U.S. Senate.
This past November, Oz announced he was quitting his highly-rated TV show to run for Senate in Pennsylvania as he openly praised his long-time friend Donald Trump.
For doing so, he has also become an instant target of big media.
Last week, the Times led with a page one story “‘Magic’ Weight-Loss Pills and Covid Cures: Dr. Oz Under the Microscope,” accusing the heart surgeon of having a “long history of dispensing dubious medical advice” and cited numerous examples of times when his advice was “wrong.”
The paper never acknowledged that some of Oz’s claims portrayed as blatantly false were actually proven to have merit.
The Times critizicized Oz for his 2012 warning that apple juice contained unsafe levels of arsenic after he conducted his own arsenic testing.
Oz told Newsmax that as soon as he learned about the “high amounts of toxic arsenic” to children who are among the “biggest consumers of apple juice,” and testing confirmed the findings, he shared his findings because it was something viewers need to know.
“The FDA dishonestly told the mainstream media that we were wrong citing their own ‘secret’ testing,” Oz said.
“Ultimately, we were right, and the same media entities and government forces that challenged my evidence and attempted to discredit me were later forced to admit it,” he said.
Oz said the media attacks are to be expected when someone of his stature “stands up to powerful interests.”
The FDA indeed initially called Oz’s findings “irresponsible and misleading” – before later admitting that arsenic was present in the apple drink.
In April 2021, the FDA released an “action plan” for reducing children’s exposure to toxic elements in food, which mentioned “finalizing action levels for arsenic in apple juice and issuing draft action levels for lead in juices in the near future.”
But that pivot by the FDA was omitted in the Times’ writeup on Oz.
Similarly, while the Times noted the criticism Oz took from senators in 2014 over claims he made regarding certain weight-loss products, it didn’t mention that a California judge in 2020 dismissed a suit alleging Oz mispresented the effectiveness of a “fat-busting” supplement on his show.
When contacted, the New York Times did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Oz’s campaign manager Casey Contres told Newsmax that the recent article proves that “corporate media like the New York Times will do or say anything they can to try and tear down conservatives like Dr. Oz.”
Contres slammed the Times’ story as a “hit piece” that “intentionally left out information that showed how egregious many of the smear campaigns have been against him.”
Part of the controversy appears to stem from the different talents required of Oz in his dual roles as both a physician and a successful television host.
In 2014, Oz told senators, who were critical of him, that he has used “flowery” language and believes as a TV show host that is his right.
David Johnson, an Atlanta-based public relations expert and the CEO of Strategic Vision PR, said the negative media blitz against Oz boils down to his party affiliation before an election in which Democrat control of the Senate is on the line.
“If he was still Oprah’s guru, he would be getting flattering praise right now,” Johnson said.
“Because he’s on the right, the mainstream media has an agenda to destroy Dr. Oz.”
And while Oz may not always be scientifically precise in conveying his medical advice to television viewers, Johnson noted the hypocrisy of the left-leaning media like the Times in blasting Oz over his statements while giving a free pass to those in positions of national power, such as Dr. Anthony Fauci.
“How many times has Dr. Fauci been wrong?” Johnson said. “We don’t see the mainstream media going after him.”
Since the emergence of COVID, Fauci has flip-flopped on issues such as air travel close-downs, mask and vaccine policies, and other key aspects of fighting the virus.
And new polls suggest Democrats have something to fear with Oz’s candidacy.
The television host now commands a 10-point lead over his nearest GOP rival in the Senate primary, and a recent Democratic poll showed him in a dead heat in the general election against a likely opponent.
“The establishment media wants to knock him down because they are scared of him,” Johnson said. “They see he has the potential to win this race.”
Via Newsmax