If Fetterman had ‘eaten vegetables’ he would not have had the stroke.

• Dr. Oz, a Republican Senate candidate, went viral after complaining about the cost of “crudite.”
• Now, the team is doubling down, according to a statement to Insider.
• Here’s the latest in a contest fueled by memes and Twitter sparring.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Republican candidate for Senate, spent the past week defending himself against accusations that he was out of touch with most Pennsylvanians.

Last Monday, John Fetterman, a Democratic opponent of Oz; A video has resurfaced. Oz enlisted in what he called “Wegners” — a mishmash of the Redner’s and Wegmans grocery chains — to shop for “crudité” and complain about inflation. Fetterman’s comment: “In PA, we call this a vegetable tray.”

The Doctor’s campaign backfired in an exclusive statement as part of Insider’s Oz investigation. “If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, he probably wouldn’t have had high blood pressure and wouldn’t have had to constantly lie about it,” said Rachel Tripp, Oz’s senior communications consultant. .

The Garden Wars represent the latest drama in the Oz-Fetterman rivalry, which has garnered much attention. Not only is the race close, it has the potential to tip the balance in Washington.

It can also be seen as a referendum on Donald Trump, which Oz previously supported against Republican David McCormick. (McCormick’s wife, Dina Powell, served in the Trump administration.) After Oz’s misstep, he also had another dust-up with Fetterman about how many homes he owns — Oz says he has two; He actually has 10 — Trump has told two close friends that if something doesn’t change in the race, Oz will “win.” (The Trump campaign denied this to Rolling Stone.)

While these missteps may be evidence of Oz’s political inception, those who have known the 62-year-old for a long time told Insider that he always considered himself great. Over the course of his career, he has performed a series of paradoxical feats: from running a start-up medical center to gaining press attention, from publishing to a best-selling book and appearing on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and from Oprah to his own media. An empire, numerous places of business and board, and a place in every American heart and mind.

“I think part of the reason he came on TV was to raise his profile,” an insider said in a recent investigation by Insider. The doctor. “He’s definitely a guy who does what he has to do to get what he wants.”

Read how Dr. Oz’s lifelong obsession with power led to his candidacy in Pennsylvania.