WATCH: Dr. Oz Breaks Down His Political Philosophy After Announcing GOP U.S. Senate Run

Daily Wire NewsDecember 1, 2021

Dr. Mehmet Oz, a celebrity heart surgeon, joined Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday night to discuss his announcement to enter the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania as a Republican.

“America is in crisis, that’s not news. Our values are under attack,” he said. “So, I want to serve America in its time of need. I think I can do that by running for the U.S. Senate seat in the state of Pennsylvania.”

Oz lamented big government, saying that his political philosophy centers around “liberty and freedom and that to me means limited government.”

“The more we can be local, the more we can trust the people in our communities, the better off we are,” he said. “I believe in energy independence. That’s a big deal here in Pennsylvania, but we don’t as a nation want to be begging other countries like we’re starting to do to change what they’re doing with energy because, you know, we’re in hock.”

“I believe in capitalism, which means lower taxes and regulations, so people can really compete, and I respect the Constitution, a brilliantly written document that I think should be honored on the bench, and sometimes isn’t. We have free market solutions that work,” he added. “And in healthcare, I’ll tell you, this is my specialty area and I spent my life studying this, we can protect against pre-existing conditions and use free market solutions to health care that makes it affordable, accessible for everybody.”

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: Now, a big breaking development in the great state of Pennsylvania tonight as heart surgeon, Emmy Award-winning television host, Dr. Mehmet Oz, is now jumping into the Republican Senate primary.

Let’s take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, POLITICAL AD)

DR. MEHMET OZ (R), CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE IN PENNSYLVANIA: My parents came to America to find a better life and they did. I attended great universities, raised a family, and became a successful surgeon.

I invented a heart valve that saves thousands of lives. Then, I started a TV show to advocate for you taking control of your health, and took on the medical establishment to argue against costly drugs and skyrocketing medical bills.

But COVID has shown us that our system is broken. We lost too many lives, too many jobs, and too many opportunities because Washington got it wrong. It took away our freedom without making us safer and tried to kill our spirit and our dignity.

As a heart surgeon, I know how precious life is. Pennsylvania needs a conservative who will put America first, one who can reignite our divine spark, bravely fight for freedom and tell it like it is.

That’s why I’m running for Senate.

I’m Dr. Oz and I approve this message.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, Dr. Oz is vowing to run on a campaign of putting you, the American people, first, to be a servant of the people of Pennsylvania, take on the Washington establishment to protect fundamental freedoms, keeping America safe and secure and he says, again, to serve the people of Pennsylvania.

Here to talk about his candidacy is Dr. Oz himself.

There’s a lot of similarities — before Donald Trump ran for office, I’ve — I’ve been friends with him for many years. We had so many conversations, too numerous to count late into the night. And I got to really know you during COVID and you were calling, you know, Europe at 3:00 in the morning and updating me on anecdotal information when we had nothing to work with at the time.

And awhile back, you told me that you are thinking of running. First of all, I said you’re nuts, it’s a — it’s a horrible world. And I want you to explain in your own words what you told me and why you’re running.

OZ: Well, you did warn me but today was an exhilarating day. And let me give you a little background. My parents immigrated here legally and our country provided unparalleled opportunities that have benefited me, and I feel firmly it is time to repay my debt.

America is in crisis, that’s not news. Our values are under attack. So, I want to serve America in its time of need. I think I can do that by running for the U.S. Senate seat in the state of Pennsylvania.

Now, Americans — and here’s how I see it — Americans deserve better solutions. Doctors are about solutions. But instead, people with good ideas are shamed, they’re silenced, they’re bullied, they’re canceled. You talk about it, Sean, all the time.

And in medicine, if we cannot say what we see, people die, literally. That’s what we always tell the patients, the truth, because they’ll respect us and we can deal with realities if we’re honest with each other.

So, let me talk about COVID for a second because as a physician, I’ve really spent a lot of time