Greensburg, Penn. – On Friday night, when the music hit the stage of Dr. Mehmet Oz, the voices of some of Donald Trump’s ardent supporters were heard louder.
Oz responded by trying to destroy the people with one of his favorite guerrilla jokes about President Joe Biden.
“I love you, Pennsylvania!” He said. “I love that you’re here in the rain, in Westmoland, and I know why you’re excited: because the only thing Joe Biden created best was the Republican Party. Am I right?”
The audience, most of whom were present to hear Trump’s speech, responded with moderate applause.
The only thing more common than Oz’s reception was the bad weather at the Westmoreland County Fairgrounds. Due to heavy rain for several hours, the dirty surface under the feet of Trump fans was turned into mud, forcing protesters to take turns seeking shelter at the stands.
When Trump came to speak, more than an hour after Oz, most liked his speech more. Trump even brought Oz on stage to speak briefly to the people next to him.
But the central tension of the night was evident.
Following attacks on a seemingly endless class of rivals, Dave McCormick, the MP’s hedge fund manager, some Pennsylvania Republican voters are keeping Oz’s conservative conscience, especially on social issues like of gun rights. . Oz, a heart surgeon and TV personality who moved from New Jersey to his wife’s parents ’hometown, a Philadelphia suburb, before Support announced For gun control and the right to abortion, which he now denies.
Timothy Lorra, a Westmoreland County truck driver, shouted the epithet “RINO,” which means “Republicans Only in Name,” when videos of Oz appeared on screen before the speeches.
“I think it’s Hollywood,” Laura told HuffPost. “It’s just my opinion. “I don’t like Hollywood.”
Other attendees said they were open to Oz, but only because Trump supported him.
“In the past, he spent a lot of time on the left,” said Dave Popola, a coal producer. “It’s too much for Obama and Obama broke the coal industry for the first time.”
If Trump can allay the concerns of his more ideological constituents about Oz by personally affirming his allegiance to Trump’s wing of the American Republican Party, he could test Trump’s influence on his supporters in a non yet unprecedented way.
After about 90 minutes in the middle of a torturous speech, Trump did his best to convince his followers that Oz was a more effective successor to his nationalist presidency than McCormick. Ozma called McCormick “Beijing Dave” because of his hedge fund investments Made in China. Trump amplified this criticism.
“So I don’t really know David and he might be a good guy, but he’s not MAGA, he’s not MAGA,” Trump said under “Make America Great Again.” “I know he’s in a company that manages money for Communist China, and he’s a full -fledged candidate for special interests, globalists and the establishment of Washington.”
Trump combined the attacks on McCormick with the usual praise for his beliefs in Oz politics, which seems to be about any part of Trump’s Republic.
“As your senator, Oz will fight to end illegal immigration, to end cities of refuge and put dangerous criminals behind bars,” Trump said. “That’s what he wants to do. He aims to suppress the Democrats, Socialists and Communists and confront China as if there were no senator in the history of our state. “
At the same time, Trump, who himself is a former TV star, seems to have his real reason for approving Oz is to respect his career on camera.
“I have known him for a long time. “It’s on this screen,” Trump said. “Every woman is in the room and says good and bad. And they love it. “
In fact, like another TV celebrity trying to enter politics, Trump faces similar skepticism about bad habits and liberal stance on social issues. In the 2016 governor’s presidential primary, Senator Ted Cruz (of R) Texas allegedly criticized Trump. “The values of New York”.
But Trump began his credentials on the right a few years ago as a proponent of the “birth” conspiracy theory of former President Barack Obama.
Asked why he was worried about Oz’s associations with Hollywood but not with Trump, Mike Dugan, a Walmart employee at the rally, said: “[Trump]Convince me that he is not a great liberal.
However, to the many young and lesser ideological participants in the rally, Trump’s words were enough to ensure Oz’s support.
“Those who support Trump, I will support him,” said Cody Lucebrink, a plumber.
Amanda McNam, a commercial operations specialist and Lucebrink’s fiancée agreed. He also said it was “comfortable” to hear Ozzy condemn what he considered exaggerated public health policy related to COVID-19 because he was a doctor.
If Oz wins the Pennsylvania state election on May 17, it will be another big win for Trump following his big win in nearby Ohio. Trump’s support for JD Vance during the Ohio Republican Senate primary helped Vance, a former Trump critic, retain his nomination on Tuesday.
Vance joined Oz and Trump at a rally on Friday, saying he supported Oz both for Oz’s loyalty to China and as a result of Oz’s victory, which identified Vance as a Republican civil war.
“It’s not about Dr. Oz,” Vance said. “It’s about nothing but you and Donald Trump.”
The Republican elite subgroup is “trying to beat Trump -backed candidates, because when they are defeated, the fake news media there will say,‘ Well, it doesn’t matter if you support Donald Trump, ’” he added.
Source: Huffpost