Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz was roasted online after he mistakenly said that Pennsylvania borders the ocean, a geography error that isn't doing him any favors amid criticisms over his decision to run for the state's open Senate seat despite living in New Jersey.
During an appearance on Fox News personality Sean Hannity's program, Oz said that it is important that he become the next Senator of Pennsylvania because the Republican Party does not have
"a Republican senator north of North Carolina on the Atlantic coast until you get to Maine."
The big problem with Oz's statement: Pennsylvania is not on the coast.
You can hear what Oz said in the video below.
\u201cdoes Oz ... does he think Pennsylvania is on the coast?\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1667266895
If you look at a map of the Northeastern United States, you can see that Pennsylvania is not on the coast at all and is in fact separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the entire state of New Jersey, where Oz actually lives.
freeworldmaps.net
People couldn't resist mocking Oz following his gaffe.
\u201cDude, those bomb waves off Philly are just crankin' awesome.\u201d— Patt "Bluechecked" Morrison (@Patt "Bluechecked" Morrison) 1667321976
\u201cThose Coastal beaches in PA are something I tell ya.\u201d— GoPo (@GoPo) 1667315254
\u201c@DrOz Pleases show me on a map where PA has coast line\u2026. Stay in NJ as you are an idiot. #DrOz #MAGAMORON\u201d— Dwane Porter (@Dwane Porter) 1667315370
\u201cOz keeps forgetting he's not in New Jersey. He won't remember to fight for Pennsylvanians either.\n#FettermanForSenate\u201d— DarkBrandonFanClub\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@DarkBrandonFanClub\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1667319014
\u201cNew Jersey, come get your guy. He took a wrong turn in Camden and the poor guy is just trying to go down the shore.\n\n#NoOnOz #TeamFetterman #OzForNJ\u201d— Sarah Yerger (@Sarah Yerger) 1667313500
\u201cDr. Oz is clearly thinking of the Jersey Shore. \ud83d\ude02\u201d— Hal Sparks (@Hal Sparks) 1667310130
\u201cIf you wanted more proof that Oz thinks New Jersey is Pennsylvania, here it is.\n\nI wouldn\u2019t be surprised if Oz is planning a mountain climbing trip to Kansas after the election, given his understanding of Pennsylvania geography.\n\nVote #BlueIn22\n\n#DemVoice1 #bluecrew #fbr #demcast\u201d— (((Alan Rosenblatt, PhD))) (@(((Alan Rosenblatt, PhD)))) 1667311056
\u201cBroad Street is a PA's Boardwalk! Who knew?\u201d— Shadow Cloud (@Shadow Cloud) 1667311601
Oz has attracted significant scorn on social media in recent months, particularly for running in Pennsylvania's Senate race despite living in New Jersey.
Fetterman, who suffered a near-fatal stroke in May, has generated support in his time off the campaign trail by launching social media campaigns that have emphasized Oz's ties to New Jersey and minimal ties to Pennsylvania.
Earlier, The Philadelphia Inquirerreported Oz lived in North Jersey for more than three decades. And while Oz has said he moved to Pennsylvania in 2020 to live with his in-laws, his social media posts and campaign ads have showed him still in New Jersey.
These facts prompted Fetterman to enlist none other than Nicole "Snooki" LaValle—best known for starring on the reality series Jersey Shore—to troll him for living in the state.
The video received millions of views after Fetterman uploaded it to Twitter and has been generally lauded as an example of creative and effective social media outreach.