Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman enlisted the help of another New Jersey celebrity to take a jab at Republican challenger Mehmet Oz’s ties to the state: musician Steven Van Zandt.
“Yo, Doctor Oz! Stevie VZ here,” the “Sopranos” actor and E Street Band guitarist said in a video Fetterman tweeted.
“What are you doing in Pennsylvania? Everybody knows you live in New Jersey and you’re just using your in-laws’ address over there. And you do not want to mess around with John Fetterman. Trust me. You’re a little out of your league,” he continued.
Fetterman’s campaign has sought to portray Oz, who has been endorsed by former President Trump, as a carpetbagger from New Jersey in Pennsylvania’s competitive Senate race.
The Pennsylvania lieutenant governor has used various methods to troll Oz over the issue, including flying an airplane banner along South Jersey beaches that read, “HEY DR. OZ, WELCOME HOME TO NJ! ❤ JOHN” and enlisting the help of former “Jersey Shore” cast member Nicole “Snooki” LaValle.
“I heard that you moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania to look for a new job, and, personally, I don’t know why anyone would want to leave Jersey, because it’s like the best place ever, and we’re all hot messes,” LaValle says in the video to Oz.
Brittany Yanick, a spokesperson for Oz’s campaign, claimed in a statement to The Hill that the Republican candidate was more actively engaged with voters when asked about the video.
“Dr. Oz is busy criss-crossing the commonwealth and meeting with voters hearing how crime and inflation is impacting their lives, while John Fetterman is sitting behind his computer screen from his basement bunker refusing to meet with Pennsylvanians,” Yanick said.
An AARP poll released last month showed 50 percent of likely voters supporting Fetterman compared to 44 percent for Oz.