Social Media Reacts To Trump Nominating Dr. Oz To Run Medicare

One person joked that having the TV doc run Medicare was like "putting Tom Hanks in charge of NASA because he played an astronaut in Apollo 13."
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Donald Trump has nominated yet another controversial personality to a position they are unqualified for, and, yes, people on social media have thoughts.

On Tuesday, the president-elect nominated former TV star and surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz to head the agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid despite Oz’s history of promoting false medical info.

In a statement announcing the nomination, Trump said Oz will help incentivize disease prevention and “also cut waste and fraud within our Country’s most expensive Government Agency.”

Oz, who has been unemployed since a failed run for the Pennsylvania Senate seat now held by Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, seemed happy to be offered the gig.

In a post on X, he said he looked forward to “serving my country to Make America Healthy Again” under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

I am honored to be nominated by @realDonaldTrump to lead CMS. I look forward to serving my country to Make America Healthy Again under the leadership of HHS Secretary @RobertKennedyJr. pic.twitter.com/aYIQJHG5Ej

— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) November 19, 2024

But while Kennedy seemed happy about Oz’s appointment, lawmakers like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren weren’t thrilled one bit.

“Running Medicare and Medicaid for over 100 million Americans isn’t like hosting a daytime talk show,” the Democratic senator warned. “Dr. Oz is another rich guy who doesn’t care if your health care costs go up or an insurance company denies you coverage. These decisions have life and death consequences.”

Running Medicare and Medicaid for over 100 million Americans isn't like hosting a daytime talk show.

Dr. Oz is another rich guy who doesn't care if your health care costs go up or an insurance company denies you coverage. These decisions have life and death consequences. https://t.co/YC41fyId9R

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 19, 2024

Oz and Kennedy join other eyebrow-raising picks for the next Trump administration, including embattled former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as attorney general, Democrat-turned-Republican Tulsi Gabbard for national intelligence director, and Fox News personality Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense.

People on various social media platforms felt obliged to give Dr. Oz the same level of snark as Trump’s other nominees.

Name a better qualified doctor than Dr. Oz, we’ll go first:

The Lincoln Project (@lincolnproject.bsky.social) 2024-11-19T22:03:56.702Z

Scientific American on Dr. Oz in 2021: “Dr. Oz Shouldn’t Be a Senator—or a DoctorHis brand of misinformation has already tarnished medicine. In the halls of Congress, he’d do much worse.”www.scientificamerican.com/article/dr-o...

Tim O’Brien (@timobrien.bsky.social) 2024-11-19T21:15:24.355Z

I like Oprah Winfrey, but she created two monsters and unleashed them on us: Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz.

Andrea Junker (@strandjunker.bsky.social) 2024-11-19T21:41:58.542Z

Dr. Oz and RFK Jr. are both anti-vaxxers, both make false claims about health (Dr. Oz about raspberry ketones and other “fat busting” products, and RFK Jr about raw milk), and both think hydroxychloroquine cures COVID-19. Many will likely get sick and die due to their policies.

Dina_MD (@dina-md.bsky.social) 2024-11-19T22:55:24.620Z

Putting TV Dr. Oz in charge of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is like putting Tom Hanks in charge of NASA because he played an astronaut in Apollo 13.

— Joel Montfort (@jmontforttx) November 19, 2024

“And now I give you the great and powerful Dr. Mehmet Oz.” pic.twitter.com/4XVWrxIFWX

— Hoodlum 🇺🇸 (@NotHoodlum) November 19, 2024
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