Pennsylvania
Celebrities? Outsiders? Oz, Fetterman (and Trump) put fame to the test in Pennsylvania primary
The Pennsylvania primary is the latest stage for celebrity politics, with Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz and Democrat John Fetterman leading as frontrunners in their parties' senatorial races.
- Trump-endorsed Dr. Oz is in the midst of a tight GOP primary, with opponents using fame against him.
- Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has nearly a 40-point lead on U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb in the latest poll.
- In some cases, voters see celebrities as more credible than politicians, one analyst said.
- Fetterman has 200,000 individual donors, the most by far in the U.S. Senate race in Pa.
WASHINGTON – When Donald Trump talks about why Dr. Mehmet Oz should be a U.S. senator, he cites Oz's medical background, his conservative views – and, above all, something else.
His celebrity.
"His show is great," Trump told supporters May 6 at a rally in Pennsylvania, site of a primary Tuesday that showcases a powerful development of 20th and 21st century public life: celebrity politics.
The former president's comments echoed what he said when he first endorsed Oz in early April as "brilliant and well-known."
"He has lived with us through the screen and has always been popular, respected and smart," Trump said.
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