Candidates in the Pennsylvania Senate race are turning up the heat on their “crudité” spat.
Republican Mehmet Oz questioned John Fetterman’s diet choices, prompting the Democratic lieutenant governor to complain his opponent went too far.
“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,” Oz spokeswoman Rachel Trip said in a statement reported late Tuesday by Insider.
Mr. Fetterman, who returned to the campaign trail this month after his stroke in May, said the Oz campaign went over the line.
“I had a stroke. I survived it. I’m truly so grateful to still be here today,” Mr. Fetterman tweeted. “I know politics can be nasty, but even then, I could *never* imagine ridiculing someone for their health challenges.”
The Senate race in November could determine which party controls the chamber, which is evenly divided 50-50 with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as a tie-breaker for Democrats.
The spat over Mr. Fetterman’s health is part of the fallout from a viral video in which Mr. Oz goes grocery shopping and complains about the cost of everyday goods. He botched the name of the store, however, and said crudité instead of “veggie tray,” prompting Mr. Fetterman to paint him as elite and out of touch with everyday folks.
Mr. Fetterman has consistently painted Mr. Oz, a celebrity doctor, as a carpetbagger from New Jersey who can’t understand Pennsylvanians.
Mr. Oz’s campaign says Mr. Fetterman is the one who cannot engage with voters, citing his long absence from the trail.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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