Dr. Mehmet Oz was booed on Friday at a rally led by former President Trump in support of the celebrity doctor, who is running to be the Republican candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania.
Footage from the rally in Greensburg, Pa., by Huffington Post reporter Daniel Marans captured rally-goers booing Oz after the candidate describes himself as pro-life in a video before the speeches. Some conservatives have expressed skepticism toward Oz’s record on abortion.
“I’m pro life: Life starts at conception, that’s how I feel,” Oz said in the pre-recorded video, which drew boos from the crowd:
I have yet to meet anyone here who is a firm supporter of Dr. Oz. In fact, there’s a whole section of people that boos every time he appears on screen. Catch it at the end of this video. pic.twitter.com/loRIoTvnFX
— Daniel Marans (@danielmarans) May 6, 2022
Some rally-goers booed Representative Guy Reschenthaler (R., Pa.), whose district includes Greensburg, when he endorsed Oz, the New York Times reported. People also booed when Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance endorsed Oz at the rally, Business Insider noted.
Oz also received boos when he first took the stage at the rally:
Oz gets a mixed response as he enters pic.twitter.com/6aDyvMZBJi
— Daniel Marans (@danielmarans) May 6, 2022
Oz referenced Trump’s endorsement in an appeal to the crowd.
“President Trump endorsed me because he said I was smart, tough and I will never let you down,” Oz said.
Trump called on voters to back Oz in the Republican Senate primary in Pennsylvania when he took the stage later in the evening. The former president endorsed Oz on April 10, presenting a vote for Oz as a way to help “save America.”
“I have known Dr. Oz for many years, as have many others, even if only through his very successful television show,” Trump said in his endorsement. “He has lived with us through the screen and has always been popular, respected and smart.”