early and often

Trump Wants Dr. Oz to Copy Him and Declare Victory Before the Race Is Called

Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photos: Getty Images

The final November matchup for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat has yet to be determined. Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman won the Democratic nomination decisively on Tuesday, but the Republican race is still too close to call.

As votes continue to be tallied, physician and TV personality Mehmet Oz is currently neck and neck with former hedge-fund CEO David McCormick with the chance of an automatic recount looming.

Though an official winner has yet to be declared, Donald Trump is pushing for Oz, whom he endorsed, to follow his political playbook. On his social-media platform Truth Social, he called on Oz to claim victory before the results have been determined, echoing his own behavior following the 2020 presidential election. “Dr. Oz should declare victory,” Trump wrote. “It makes it much harder for them to cheat with the ballots that they ‘just happened to find.’”

Oz currently holds a thin lead over McCormick, but even with the number of outstanding in-person and mail ballots left to be counted, the candidates are unlikely to surpass the 0.5 percent margin that triggers a recount in Pennsylvania.

Trump Wants Dr. Oz to Copy Him and Declare Victory Now