Dr. Oz Denounces John Fetterman's Clothing for Undermining 'Authority'

Mehmet Oz, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, has lashed out at his Democratic opponent, Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, for choosing to wear clothes that Oz says undermine "authority."

Oz blasted Fetterman, who is notable among high-profile politicians for nearly always wearing casual clothing during public appearances, for rejecting anything "traditional" during a recent episode of the conservative Ruthless podcast. After one of the podcast's hosts denounced Fetterman for "stumbling around outside in a hoodie and gym shorts," Oz speculated that his rival's choice of clothing included a hidden "deeper message."

The Trump-endorsed celebrity doctor said that he found Fetterman's "costume" to be "an interesting phenomena" and suggested that it was evidence the Democrat wants to "bust America." A clip of Oz's response was shared to Twitter on Monday by PatriotTakes, an account that describes itself as dedicated to "exposing right-wing extremism and other threats to democracy."

"I was stunned by it," Oz said of Fetterman's clothing. "But it turns out that if you're a far-left radical with the belief that this country is irredeemably stained, you just want to break it apart. Just bust America, crack it to its base, break it asunder and rebuild it with your toxic ideology. That's what he stands for.

"When he dresses like that, it's not an accident," he continued. "He's kicking authority in the balls. He's saying, 'Hey I'm the man, I'll show those guys who's boss. I'm not gonna allow any traditional path to succeed, because by breaking some parts of it down, I can break it all down.' That's the deeper message he's delivering."

Oz is not the only prominent conservative to recently bash the Democratic candidate's appearance. In an opinion article penned by Fetterman and published by NBC News on Sunday, the Democrat took aim at Fox News host Tucker Carlson for calling his appearance a "costume" during a broadcast earlier this month.

Fetterman blasted Carlson's assertion that he wears "stupid little fake tattoos" and explained that his tattooed forearms include dates marking the deaths of nine people who died in violent crimes during his tenure as mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania.

"They are not some 'costume,'" Fetterman wrote. "They are reminders of the people we have lost and what I am fighting for... I get that etching art permanently onto your body isn't how most politicians would express their connection to their communities. But I didn't care about what anyone else thought. It felt right to me."

Former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich also questioned Fetterman's tattoos recently, asking why the Democrat would have chosen to get one that said "I will make you hurt" in a tweet on Sunday.

The tattoo, which has since been covered up, was quoting lyrics from the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt," which was popularized after being covered by country singer Johnny Cash.

According to an average of polls from polling analysis site FiveThirtyEight, Fetterman had a seven-point lead over Oz as of Monday, although some recent polls have suggested that the race may be getting closer as November approaches.

Newsweek reached out to the Fetterman campaign for comment.