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Before launching a Republican U.S. Senate campaign in Pennsylvania, Mehmet Oz didn’t explicitly say he supported abortion rights, but it was easy to get that impression. As recently as 2019, for example, the celebrity doctor said he was “really worried“ about the harmful consequences for women’s health if the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
He went on to question whether it was “logical” to believe that life begins at conception.
It’s against this backdrop that the first-time GOP candidate took a surprisingly far-right line on the issue ahead of his primary election. NBC News reported:
Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz said in May that abortion at any stage of pregnancy is “still murder” because he believes that life begins at conception, according to newly obtained audio.
“I do believe life starts at conception, and I’ve said that multiple times,” Oz told voters on May 10, adding, “If life starts at conception, why do you care what stage our hearts starts beating at? It’s, you know, it’s still murder, if you were to terminate a child whether their heart’s beating or not.”
If Oz continues to agree with his stated position, this would make him one of the most extreme Senate candidates in the nation on the issue of reproductive rights. To argue that life begins at conception, and terminating any unwanted pregnancy is “murder,” is a position that even many Republicans generally avoid.
But in a curious twist, it seems Oz may no longer agree with his stated position. A campaign spokesperson told NBC News via email this morning, “Dr. Oz is pro-life and supports exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother.”
Does he? Because in April, the Republican appeared in a debate and said he supports exceptions “for the life of the mother,” without mentioning rape and incest. And a month later, he said life begins at conception and referred to abortion as “murder.”
It would appear Pennsylvania voters not only have a choice among candidates, but also among positions. When it comes to abortion rights, they can believe what Oz said in 2019, what Oz said in the spring, or what his campaign spokesperson said about Oz’s views this morning.
If you’re thinking this might be the basis for an upcoming campaign ad in the Keystone State, you’re not alone.
John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz square off on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. ET in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate debate. Get expert analysis in real time on our live blog.