May 15, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Oz calls Kathy Barnette's tweet on Islam "disqualifying"

Axios

Mehmet Oz speaking during a forum in Newtown, Pennsylvania, on May 11. — Mehmet Oz speaks during a forum in Newtown, Pa., on May 11. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz called a 2015 tweet from Kathy Barnette "reprehensible" in an interview with AP on Saturday, just days before Tuesday’s primary election.

Why it matters: Oz, who would be the country's first Muslim senator, said Barnette's tweet, in which she said “[p]edophilia is a Cornerstone of Islam," is "disqualifying."

Barnette, a previously unimaginable prospect who's been soaring in the polls ahead of the primary vote, has triggered a belated "oh s--t" moment among influential Republicans in Washington, Axios' Jonathan Swan, Lachlan Markay and Andrew Solender previously report.

What they're saying: “It’s reprehensible that she would tweet out something that is defamatory to an entire religion,” Oz told AP.

“This state was based on religious freedom. I’m proud as a Pennsylvanian to uphold those founding beliefs that every faith has its merits.”

The big picture: The GOP primary for the seat had been an expensive contest largely between David McCormick and Oz before Barnette gained traction among the GOP base.

Former President Trump questioned the details of her past in a statement last week, warning that there are things that have "not been properly explained or vetted" with her candidacy.

Go deeper: What to know about Kathy Barnette

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Oz calls Kathy Barnette's tweet on Islam "disqualifying"

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