Dr. Mehmet Oz’s Democratic rival in a US Senate race in Pennsylvania was already criticizing the candidate for traveling to California to raise funds.
On Friday, John Fetterman called Oz for the backdrop of the Republican candidate’s Santa Ana event: a room that featured Adolf Hitler’s car.
In what appears to be a veep-As a moment, Oz was photographed speaking at the event with the vehicle in the background. The Jezebel website picked it up, citing the Instagram account of one of the attendees, Shane Mitchell. Also among the speakers, via video, was author Jordan Peterson. The Instagram account appears to have been deleted since the story was posted.
The Oz fundraiser was held at the Lyon Air Museum, which has a 1939 Mercedes-Benz Model G4 Touring Wagon in its collection. According to the museum, the vehicle was “originally handed over to Adolf Hitler in late 1939 and was used by the Führer at Ober Salzberg, Berlin and Poland until seized by the French army at Berchtesgaden.”
A spokesman for the Oz campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Oz and Fetterman are in a close race for the US Senate, with both parties and outside groups pouring millions into the state as the election is in its final weeks. His run is perhaps the most high-profile of this cycle, in part due to Oz’s celebrity endorsement by Donald Trump and Fetterman’s offbeat attacks on the daytime talk doctor’s candidacy.
“I don’t know who needs to hear this, but if you’re asking donors for money in front of Hitler’s literal car, then you shouldn’t be running for the United States Senate,” Fetterman posted on Twitter.
According to an invitation, the fundraiser also included Adam Laxalt, who was seeking to unseat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV). Contributions started at $1,500 per person, rising to $50,000 for six tickets and listed as co-chair of the event. It was organized by Take Back the Senate, a joint National Republican Senate Committee. Among those listed as chairman of the event is Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR and brother-in-law of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
While Fetterman attacked Oz for his fundraising trip to the Golden State, Democrats are actually making numerous trips this campaign season in search of campaign money from Los Angeles donors. Next week, President Joe Biden will appear at an event with Nancy Pelosi to raise money for Democratic candidates for Congress.