(TruthandLiberty.com) – In 2021, Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) announced he was retiring from the Senate and would not run for re-election in 2022. Pennsylvania is a presidential battleground state, but the deck appears stacked for Republicans in November. The leading GOP primary contenders to replace him are famed television star Dr. Oz Mehmet and David McCormick. In recent days, Dr. Oz’s dual citizenship has become a serious issue, forcing the Republican candidate to say he’ll renounce his Turkish citizenship if Pennsylvanians elect him as their newest US Senator.
Oz’s parents were born Turkish, and Oz served in the Turkish military as a young man to maintain his citizenship, which he says he keeps to make it easier to care for his ailing mother, who lives in Istanbul. Dual citizens can legally serve in Congress, but it may be hard to get security clearances for intelligence briefings.
Dr. Oz will renounce his Turkish citizenship if elected to Senate: 'I will only be a U.S. citizen'https://t.co/s9bKQy2nKv
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 16, 2022
McCormick recently attacked Dr. Oz’s dual citizenship and his conservative credentials. The Republican primary challenger said Oz has lied about his positions on abortion, guns, immigration, masks, and Dr. Fauci. He called on Oz to renounce his Turkish citizenship now. The television star shot back, accusing McCormick of bigotry.
There’s anecdotal evidence to suggest McCormick’s attacks are gaining traction with Pennsylvania voters. In the most recent Fox News poll on the Pennsylvania GOP primary, released on March 9, McCormick held a nine-point lead over Oz (24% to 15%).
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