BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz took to their podiums Tuesday night for the only scheduled debate in the race to represent Pennsylvania in the US Senate. After months of trading barbs through social media and attack ads, it was their first chance to appeal to a statewide audience on live television.
The fast-moving, hour-long debate touched on a wide array of subjects, from abortion to gun control to the economy to the candidates' personal background. By and large, the candidates didn’t break much new ground and continued to level familiar attacks on one another. Here are four takeaways from the debate between Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor, and Oz, a nationally known daytime television star.
- Senate candidates Mehmet Oz and John Fetterman faced off Tuesday night in their only scheduled debate.
- Fetterman, who is recovering from a May stroke, struggled throughout the debate with his speech.
- The outcome of the race could determine control of the U.S. Senate.
Fetterman’s Health
Days before the primary, Fetterman suffered a stroke he said nearly killed him. It’s impacted his language and audio processing skills, which doctors say should recover with time. While Fetterman has returned to making public appearances and granting interviews, Oz has questioned whether he is healthy enough to serve in the senate. Earlier this week, Fetterman’s doctors released a letter saying Fetterman’s condition is improving and that he should make a full recovery. Tuesday marked the first chance for many Pennsylvanians to see Fetterman’s speaking ability since his stroke.
As a seasoned television host, Oz would likely have had an advantage against most debate opponents, but the difference was pronounced in contrast to Fetterman. At the start of the debate, Fetterman told viewers up front that he might struggle for words or mush some words together. He did. At times, his answers were difficult to understand as he repeated himself or struggled to find the right words.
They Stuck to their Attack Ads
Pennsylvanians have been subjected to political attack ads for weeks, and both candidates hit the same notes during the debate. Each broke out zingers against the other even as they retreated to familiar talking points on crime, abortion, the economy and personal integrity.
When Oz was asked about raising Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, a question he largely ducked, he referenced how Fetterman has relied on assistance from his wealthy family to support his household, saying, "John Fetterman thinks the minimum wage is the weekly allowance from his parents."
Fetterman, in turn, reminded viewers that Oz is a longtime New Jersey resident who moved to Pennsylvania shortly before launching his senate campaign. When Oz attempted to tie Fetterman to Sen. Bernie Sanders and their mutual support of universal healthcare, Fetterman shot back, “ Why don’t you pretend that you live in Vermont instead of Pennsylvania?”
Other claims they made were mischaracterizations. Fetterman tried to link Oz to a Pennsylvania tree service that faced the largest civil settlement in ICE’s history. While Oz is a stakeholder in the company, which is controlled by his wife’s distant cousin, he has had no involvement in its operation. Oz, meanwhile, tried to connect Fetterman to fentanyl and US border policy. The Cato Institute, a Libertarian think tank, found most fentanyl is smuggled into the US by American citizens, not immigrants illegally crossing the border.
The Abortion Issue
Oz has been all over the map with his stance on abortion in the past three years - he supported Roe v Wade in 2019 - and his website offers little to no specifics. When asked to clarify his position Tuesday, Oz said he would not support a federal standard on abortion, leaving it to states to decide the issues. Fetterman, meanwhile, made clear he wanted to codify Roe v Wade.
Moderators cut off responses from both candidates that appeared to be on point. Fetterman tried to interrupt Oz by bringing up the stance of Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, who wants to ban all levels of abortion. Forgoing a federal standard could pave the way for strict restrictions, as some states have already prepared.
Meanwhile, Oz noted that Fetterman has previously called for expanding abortion rights beyond Roe v Wade. Fetterman has said he would support the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would allow for late-term abortions. Moderators cut Oz off due to time.
Picking Sides
Both candidates said they would support their party’s 2020 presidential nominee if they opted to run again in 2024. That shouldn’t be too surprising given Fetterman’s and Oz’s backgrounds, but it’s worth noting since public polling has found neither President Joe Biden nor former President Donald Trump are very popular with the American public at the moment.
Oz claimed he hadn’t paid much attention to Trump’s legal issues since leaving office, which seems unlikely given he’s already accepted Trump’s endorsement and that the 45th president has been at the center of an unprecedented investigative House committee.
