A Pennsylvania man made the decision to not support Dr. Mehmet Oz’s bid for US Senate after meeting with him on Tuesday.
Justyn Payton, a local recovery counselor said he was undecided about whether to support Oz or his Democratic opponent John Fetterman in this year’s midterm election. However, after spending an hour with Oz at an event in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where the candidate discussed the opioid crisis, he made the decision to support Fetterman.
At the event, Oz blamed the opioid crisis on drug trafficking through the border and illegal immigration. But Payton pushed back, telling Oz that the crisis preceded the current increase of fentanyl coming through the border.
“Yes it’s coming from the border I can’t deny that. But there’s just as many pushing the opioids like you did from 1996 to 2004 where they made record numbers, in the billions, to feed into this opioid thing,” Payton said. “Here we are still having the same conversation.”
After the panel discussion, Payton told ABC News’ senior White House correspondent Mary Bruce that the event actually swayed him away from voting for Oz.
“Outside of securing the border, I didn’t hear a plan,” Payton said. “It was the same old ‘how can we force them into detox?'”
Asked if Oz can make any impact on the opioid crisis if elected, Payton said, “I was pretty undecided, not after today. I think I know which way I’m going to lean.”
“You just spent about an hour on a panel with Doctor Oz. And that swayed you away from him?” Bruce asked. “Absolutely,” Payton replied
He also called it an “insult” that Oz left without answering any questions because there was no audience at the event.
“There was no grieving parents of people who lost children to an overdose or children who lost parents to an overdose. They weren’t invited,” Payton said. “I’m insulted.”
