Dr. Oz Takes Trump’s Advice and Declares Himself the ‘Presumptive’ Winner of GOP Senate Primary Despite Recount Underway

Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images.

Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz claimed a “presumptive” victory over Dave McCormick on Friday, despite their razor-thin race going to a recount.

“I am blessed to have earned the presumptive Republican nomination for the United States Senate,” Oz said in an upbeat video he released on social media.

“This was a tough campaign, I traveled everywhere. You guys were pretty honest sharing with me thoughts, worries you had, you don’t feel like you’re being heard,” he added.

It’s time to unite. I want to hear your ideas and make this country’s future as bright as it has ever been. With more freedom, less big government, and by empowering our people, America’s light will shine brighter than ever. pic.twitter.com/yWK5VhCk8P

— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) May 27, 2022

Former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Oz in the primary, took to his Truth Social and urged Oz to declare victory the day after the contentious election.

“Dr. Oz should declare victory,” Trump wrote on May 18th. “It makes it much harder for them to cheat with the ballots that ‘they just happened to find.’”

Trump doubled down the next day, writing:

The Pennsylvania Oz race is ridiculous. How long does it take to count votes. France, same day all paper, had VERIFIED numbers in evening. U.S. is a laughing stock on Elections. Stop FINDING VOTES in PENNSYLVANIA! RIGGED?

Currently, Oz is ahead of McCormick by some 900 votes. According to Pennsylvania law, a candidate must win with at least a 0.5 percent margin or there will be an automatic recount.

Many analysts predicted that McCormick would outperform Oz in absentee voting given demographic trends and Oz favoring Trump’s allegations of voter fraud vis-a-vis absentee voting.

“We are proud our campaign received nearly 418,000 votes, won 37 of 67 counties, and contributed to a historic turnout with a razor-thin difference between myself and Mehmet Oz,” said McCormick of the result.

“This narrow difference triggers an automatic recount, and we look forward to a swift resolution so our party can unite to defeat socialist John Fetterman in the fall,” he added.

“Counties can start their recounts as early as Friday but no later than June 1. Recounts must be completed by June 7,” The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the timeline of the recount.