The White House wrote a letter Wednesday to both Dr. Mehmet Oz and Herschel Walker – both of whom are running as Republicans for Senate this year – on behalf of President Joe Biden, demanding they resign from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition or be fired.
Oz, 61, is the former host of a popular syndicated medical talk show and is running for Senate in Pennsylvania; Walker, 60, was a 2-time Pro Bowl running back in the NFL and is running in Georgia.
The White House’s letter gave no reason for why they were being asked to resign. It reads: ‘On behalf of President Biden, I am writing to request your resignation as a Member of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition. Please submit your resignation to me by the close of business today. Should we not receive your resignation, your position with the Council will be terminated effective 6 p.m. tonight. Thank you.’
Dr. Oz responded on Twitter, saying he had been appointed twice to the council by President Trump and had no plans to resign.
‘It’s sad that he would politicize such an important issue like health,’ he tweeted. ‘The doctor he should ask to resign is Dr. Fauci, for a multitude of obvious reasons.’
President Joe Biden wrote a letter to both Dr. Mehmet Oz and Herschel Walker – both of whom are running as Republicans for Senate this year – demanding they resign from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition or be fired
Oz, 61, is the former host of a popular syndicated medical talk show and is running for Senate in Pennsylvania
Walker – who served since 2020 as the council’s chair – has yet to respond to the letter, meaning both have effectively been fired as of Wednesday evening.
It was announced earlier Wednesday that Chef Jose Andres and WNBA star Elena Delle Donne had been appointed to replace Walker as the council chair.
According to the Department of Health, the council’s mission is ‘to increase sports participation among youth of all backgrounds and abilities and to promote healthy and active lifestyles for all Americans.’
The current appointees feature several former sports greats who have been publicly connected to former President Donald Trump: New York Yankees legend Mariano Rivera; longtime New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick; and Trump communications strategist Dan Scavino.
Most of the council was appointed for two-year terms under Trump in late 2020 and early 2021.
Oz – the celebrity heart surgeon best known as daytime TV´s host of ‘The Dr. Oz Show’ – is attempting to win the Republican nomination in Pennsylvania over Dave McCormick.
Walker, 60, was a 2-time Pro Bowl running back in the NFL and is running in Georgia
Oz has had both Michelle Obama and President Trump as guests on his long-running talk show over the years
Chef Jose Andres and WNBA star Elene Della Donne have been named as co-chairs of the council, effectively replacing Walker
Trump has yet to endorse though it’s questionable as to whether Oz would have the inside track, as McCormick is married to former Trump National Security Advisor Dina Powell and has already been endorsed by key Trump allies Kellyanne Conway, Stephen Miller, Hope Hicks, Mike Pompeo and Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Oz’s closest Trump-allied endorsements come from Rudy Giuliani and Sean Hannity.
Walker, on the other hand, has a long history with Trump that dates back to the ex-president’s tenure as the owner of the New Jersey General in the ill-fated NFL rival United States Football League from 1983 to 1985.
After an NFL career with brief sidetracks into Olympic bobsleigh and MMA, Walker has become a heavy hitter in Georgia politics, serving as an honorary co-chair of Senator Kelly Loeffler’s failed re-election campaign.Trump encouraged Walker to run and has fully endorsed his campaign in the Republican primary.