Dr. Mehmet Oz, the daytime host-turned-Senate candidate, appears to have a buddy in Melania Trump, according to sources familiar with the former first lady’s thinking told NBC NEWS.
“The first lady has let the president know that she likes Dr. Oz. And that matters,” said a top Republican familiar with the conversation.
“But this isn’t just about what Melania wants,” the source added. “There are a lot of Melania’s out there. There are a lot of women, in whose living room and bedroom TVs Dr. Oz has been for a decade. They have a very personal relationship with Dr. Oz.”
According to NBC News, Melania Trump’s reported interest in Oz could be key in the tight and controversial Pennsylvania Senate campaign. After his first candidate, Sean Parnell, stepped out in the midst of domestic abuse charges, former President Donald Trump has announced he plans to make another one of his important endorsements in Pennsylvania, and Melania’s view might carry a lot of weight.
Meanwhile, Fox host Sean Hannity, who also “frequently speaks to the former president,” recently backed Oz on his radio show, writes NBC News.
Even with these purported endorsements, however, Oz’s main opponent in the primary — ex-hedge fund executive David McCormick — “has a bevy of Trump advisers and influential figures working in his campaign and super PAC,” including Dina Powell, a former Trump administration official, NBC News notes. Both Oz and McCormick are running to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, as are a number of other candidates.
Just “don’t underestimate the influence of the first lady,” said a second Republican source, who reportedly often speaks with the former president. “She normally doesn’t weigh in, but she has here. And that matters.” Read more at NBC News.
