Dr Mehmet Oz, the Trump administration’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, sparked controversy on Tuesday by dismissing Americans who oppose President Donald Trump as “stupid” and “lost.” Speaking at the White House briefing room while Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is on maternity leave, Oz made the remarks in response to a question from Lindell TV personality Cara Castronuova, who asked for “medical advice” for those with “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Oz said he was “concerned” about people who have “focused their entire life’s energy” on the president, adding it was “disheartening to see people lost that way.” He then stated, “But you know, treating stupid is really hard — and it becomes a real problem.” The term “Trump Derangement Syndrome” was originally coined by conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer during the George W. Bush administration as “Bush Derangement Syndrome,” defined as paranoia in reaction to the president’s existence.
Earlier in the briefing, Oz declined to defend President Trump’s decision to appoint Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, saying the query was “out of my lane.” Pulte, who heads the Federal Housing Finance Administration, lacks extensive national security experience required by post-9/11 law. Oz expressed trust in Trump’s judgment, calling Pulte “a great guy” and noting he knows him socially.
Pulte, 38, has used his access to federal housing records to baselessly accuse prominent Democrats like New York Attorney General Letitia James and Senator Adam Schiff of mortgage fraud. He is a frequent traveller on Air Force One and a regular at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, compensating for his lack of experience with loyalty to the president.
