"He gonna be hiring Oprah to do speeches"— Netizens reacts to Trump picking TV host Dr. Oz as Medicare and Medicaid administrator
President-elect Donald Trump announced his pick for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator—TV host Dr. Oz (real name Dr. Mehmet Oz). On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, Trump took to his account on Truth Social to reveal his latest nomination, writing:
"America is facing a healthcare crisis, and there may be no physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again. (He) will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake."
For the uninitiated, Mehmet Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon and former TV personality who frequently appeared on Oprah Winfrey's talk show in the 1990s. He later hosted his eponymous show. He has frequently come under fire for promoting pseudoscience and his stance on vaccines and health care.
As news of Trump's recent pick spread, internet users were quick to react. One remarked:
"Next thing he gonna ne hiring Oprah to do speeches."
Netizens criticized Trump's nominations for his cabinet, one even calling it the "evil justice league." Here are some comments seen under @PopCrave's post on X:
"he’s literally collecting all the most cartoony irl supervillains and turning the federal government into an evil justice league wtf," another added.
"im gonna start crying that man is evil and makes all his money by spreading lies and misinformation i cant believe this is real," a user wrote.
"yes putting a man who sold fake, harmful diets to ppl in charge of medicare and medicaid is soooo smart," one sarcastically commented.
Others commented on the similarities between the names Oz from the Wizard of Oz and Wicked and Dr. Oz.
"Chris McLean for director of the national institute of mental health," one user sarcastically stated.
"wicked promo has gone too far now," one quipped.
"omg he liked wicked that much?" another remarked.
Dr. Oz ran for Senate as a Republican in Pennsylvania in 2022
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). CMS overlooks Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) marketplaces for individual insurance. According to a report by NPR, combined, CMS represents health coverage for 155 million Americans.
Tuesday's announcement comes on the heels of Trump announcing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his pick for the Secretary of HHS. RFK Jr. has previously come under scrutiny for his anti-vaccine stance and spreading misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a July 2023 interview with Fox News, RFK Jr. claimed that "autism comes from vaccines."
In light of Trump's nomination, Dr. Oz took to his X to express his gratitude and added that he would look forward "to serving (his) country to Make America Healthy Again under" Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s leadership.
According to his website, Dr. Oz is a Harvard graduate who received a joint MD and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. He rose to fame, appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show as a health expert in the 1990s. His popularity gained him his talk show, The Dr. Oz Show, which ran for 13 seasons (2009 to 2022). The show has received nine Daytime Emmys.
According to a November 2024 report by Reuters, Dr. Mehmet Oz frequently appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he advised in favor of unproven treatments like using hydroxychloroquine. He even challenged the Biden administration's policies, like wearing masks, claiming they were not based on science.
At the time, Dr. Oz frequently spoke against vaccinations, questioning their safety. His show brought on several anti-vax personalities, including RFK Jr.
In 2022, Donald Trump endorsed Dr. Oz when he ran for Senate as a Republican in Pennsylvania. He eventually lost to Democratic Sen. John Fetterman. At the time, he was criticized for statements made in relation to Fetterman's stroke, alleging his health problems were caused by bad eating habits.
According to a November 2024 report by Times Now, the TV personality came under scrutiny in 2014 for endorsing untested "miracle" cures for weight loss like forskolin (a plant-based drug). At the time, the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection investigated his claims and found no scientific basis. Additionally, they found financial ties between the manufacturers and the TV show host.
In addition to Dr. Oz, the president-elect nominated Wall Street billionaire Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary and WWE co-founder Linda McMahon as education secretary. On Monday, he announced more picks for his cabinet, including Fox Business host Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation and Brendan Carr to head the Federal Communications Commission.