Stephen Colbert kicked off his run of jokes about Dr. Mehmet Oz’s big campaign announcement on Tuesday with a bit of a softball: “Turns out, running for Senate is the one weird trick to reduce belly fat.”
It thankfully got harsher from there.
“Now, this is Dr. Oz’s first time running for office,” the Late Show host said of the TV doctor’s announcement that he will be running as a Republican for the open seat being vacated by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA). “So he’s staying humble with his promises.” As an example, he pointed to a line from Oz’s campaign website that promises he will “help re-light the ‘divine spark’ inside every American.”
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“I’d settle for cheaper gas,” Colbert replied, “but sure, Doc, check the pilot light on my ‘divine spark,’ just like they taught you at med school.”
Before he entered the political sphere, the host noted that Oz had a “lucrative career as a liar, peddling questionable health advice on TV,” highlighting some of his most egregiously irresponsible claims, from bogus weight-loss products to repeatedly pushing hydroxychloroquine during the ongoing COVID pandemic.
“But Dr. Oz may not just have fake medical claims, he may have fake Pennsylvania claims,” Colbert added. “Because he’s running there despite living in New Jersey for years. And there’s a big difference between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Something to do with hoagies. I don’t know what it is, but they will murder you over it.”
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