President Joe Biden has a habit of firing Republicans on government boards for purely political reasons. Last fall, The Biden administration fired former Trump White House officials Kellyanne Conway and Sean Spicer from the military service academy board. Now, the administration is targeting two high-profile individuals who serve on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.
On Wednesday, March 23, US Senate Republican candidates Dr. Mehmet Oz and Herschel Walker received letters from the Biden administration. The messages told them to resign from the committee by 6:00 pm, or face termination from the board.
Dr. Oz responded by saying he would not resign. He added that if the administration wanted to be petty and politicize health, it would need to fire him. Walker did not respond to the letter. Oz is a heart surgeon, and Walker was a former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL superstar.
On Thursday morning, the administration followed through with its threat. It replaced the two Republicans with celebrity chef Jose Andres and WNBA star Elena Delle Donne. The White House said it doesn’t allow political candidates to serve on government boards.
Still, the White House brought attention to the two Republican candidates, potentially helping them in upcoming primaries. Oz is attempting to win the Republican primary in Pennsylvania and hopes to serve as Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-PA) replacement. Walker is running to defeat Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in Georgia.