President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday his decision to nominate Dr. Mehmet Oz, the former Pennsylvania Senate candidate and longtime TV personality, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
🚨BREAKING: President Trump just announced the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz to serve as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator #DrOz pic.twitter.com/RcSjr1O0Bn
— AJ Huber (@Huberton) November 20, 2024
“Dr. Oz is an eminent physician, heart surgeon, inventor, and world-class communicator who has been at the forefront of healthy living for decades,” Trump declared, emphasizing that Oz would collaborate with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a controversial anti-vaccine activist Trump has tapped to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
In a statement of his own, Dr. Oz expressed his gratitude for the nomination. “I look forward to serving my country to Make America Healthy Again under the leadership of HHS Secretary @RobertKennedyJr,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
This nomination aligns two polarizing figures in public health. Like Kennedy, Oz has faced widespread criticism over the years for disseminating misleading health advice and pseudoscientific claims.
Dr. Oz’s record has been contentious, to say the least. In 2020, he championed hydroxychloroquine, an unproven treatment for COVID-19. Earlier, in 2014, a British Medical Journal study questioned the validity of his medical advice, finding that less than half of the recommendations sampled from his show had scientific backing. In a 2015 NBC News interview, Oz admitted to regrets about some segments of his show but defended his program’s broader goals, saying it wasn’t primarily about medicine.
Despite his medical credentials, Oz’s transition into a media personality and subsequent political figure has cast doubts about his priorities and qualifications. His Senate bid in 2022—ultimately unsuccessful against Democrat John Fetterman—was marked by allegations of opportunism and divisive rhetoric.
GREENSBURG, PA – MAY 06: Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz joins former President Donald Trump onstage during a rally in support of his campaign at the Westmoreland County Fairgrounds on May 6, 2022 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Former President Trump endorsed Dr. Oz in the Pennsylvania Republican primary race for the U.S. Senate over his top opponent David McCormick. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
Still, Trump’s loyalty to familiar faces from television and the campaign trail appears unshaken. Oz has had a long-standing relationship with Trump, who even revealed his 2016 physical results on The Dr. Oz Show.
The CMS, an agency that oversees healthcare for over 160 million Americans through Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), requires a Senate-confirmed leader. Democrats are signaling resistance to Oz’s nomination. Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., strongly criticized the move, citing his history of promoting dubious health claims and his staunch anti-abortion views, calling him unfit to manage such a critical agency.
“This is just another example of Donald Trump valuing TV personalities over competence,” Murray said, warning that such appointments would exacerbate dysfunction in government.
However, Senate Republicans, including Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., were more optimistic. Cassidy, a physician himself and incoming chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, expressed interest in hearing Oz’s vision for CMS. “It’s been far too long since a physician has led this agency. This is an opportunity to help patients and pursue much-needed conservative health reforms,” Cassidy remarked.
LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 07: Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz arrives to speak to supporters during an event at Heisey’s Diner on the final day before votes are cast November 7, 2022 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Oz is running against Democratic Pennsylvania Senate nominee John Fetterman. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Oz’s nomination comes as CMS embarks on an unprecedented initiative to negotiate drug prices under the Inflation Reduction Act. While the first round of negotiations on costly Medicare drugs is underway, it remains unclear where Oz—and Trump—stand on the process, which faces legal challenges from pharmaceutical companies.
As Trump’s presidency looms, this move serves as another reminder of his tendency to prioritize loyalty and celebrity over expertise, leaving many Americans—especially those reliant on government health programs—waiting to see if governance will take a backseat to theatrics. For African Americans and other historically underserved communities, such decisions could have profound consequences, especially as CMS policies directly impact health equity in vulnerable populations.