Trump Appoints 'Show Doctor' Oz as Second-Term Insurance Commissioner... Targets Obamacare

President-elect of the United States Donald Trump on the 19th (local time) nominated Mehmet Oz, the host of the 'Dr. Oz Show,' as the next head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversees Medicare and Medicaid.

Memet Oz, well known as the host of 'The Dr. Oz Show,' is shown supporting then-Republican candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally held earlier this month in Pennsylvania ahead of the presidential election. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

In a statement released that day, President-elect Trump said, "America is facing a healthcare crisis, and there is no more capable and qualified doctor than Oz to make America healthy again." He introduced Oz as a distinguished physician, cardiologist, inventor, and global communicator, adding, "He will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom I have nominated as Secretary of Health and Human Services, to confront the disease industry structure and all the terrible chronic illnesses that remain because of it."

He also stated, "He will reduce waste and fraud in the most expensive government agency in our country," adding, "This accounts for one-third of our nation's healthcare costs and one-quarter of the entire national budget." Accordingly, Oz is expected to lead the CMS under the Department of Health and Human Services and spearhead significant cuts to Obamacare. President-elect Trump has advocated for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare, during his first term and pledged major reforms ahead of this election.

Mehmet Oz, a Turkish-American cardiologist, is well known as the host of the Dr. Oz Show, a "show doctor." Originally from Ohio, he studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He gained public recognition by hosting the health segment on The Oprah Winfrey Show and has hosted the Dr. Oz Show for 13 years since 2009. The health tips and products he introduced during that time were very popular with the public. However, he faced criticism for false and exaggerated advertising by promoting diet supplements and health products that were not scientifically proven. Known for his interest in alternative medicine, he also stirred controversy within and outside the medical community during the pandemic by advocating for the use of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug, to treat COVID-19 without scientific evidence.

He has had ties with President-elect Trump since the first administration. In 2018, Trump appointed Oz to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. In 2022, with Trump’s support, Oz ran as a Republican candidate for the Pennsylvania Senate but was defeated.

Local media have noted that the appointment of Oz, a representative American show doctor, as head of CMS reflects an increase in former broadcasters in the second Trump administration. Peter Hegseth, in his 40s and nominated as the next Secretary of Defense, is a weekend co-host of Fox News’ program ‘Fox & Friends.’ Sean Duffy, a former congressman and nominee for Secretary of Transportation, is a reality TV star and Fox News host.