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Former President Donald Trump endorsed Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania's crowded Republican Senate primary, ending months of jockeying for his support.

In a statement Saturday evening, Trump said his decision was 鈥渁ll about winning elections鈥� as he formally backed the celebrity heart surgeon best known as the host of daytime TV鈥檚 鈥淭he Dr. Oz Show."

鈥淭he Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has a tremendous opportunity to Save America by electing the brilliant and well-known Dr. Mehmet Oz for the United States Senate,鈥� Trump said, in part. Later, at a rally in North Carolina, he said: 鈥淵ou know when you鈥檙e in television for 18 years, that鈥檚 like a poll. That means people like you."

Oz had been competing for Trump's endorsement in the May 17 primary against former hedge fund CEO David McCormick, whose wife, Dina Powell, served in Trump's administration. The two had gone to extensive lengths to win over the former president, who remains deeply popular with the Republican base and has been wooed by candidates in primary races across the country.

At a conservative forum in Pennsylvania last weekend, the candidates were asked if they would like Trump鈥檚 endorsement and for him to come to Pennsylvania to campaign for them.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the easiest question we鈥檙e going to get all day,鈥� replied one of the candidates, Jeff Bartos, a real estate investor. 鈥淵es. 100%, yes.鈥�

The decision marks a disappointment for McCormick, who met with Trump last week and had hired a litany of former Trump aides for his campaign. Though he was virtually unknown to voters before declaring his candidacy in January, he topped a recent Fox News poll of Pennsylvania GOP primary voters.

Trump had previously endorsed Sean Parnell in the race, but Parnell withdrew his candidacy amid allegations of abuse from his estranged wife. The turnabout raised questions about the vigor of Trump's vetting process and concerns among Republicans about whether the former president was bolstering candidates who might be able to win their respective primaries but flounder in general elections that will determine which party controls the Senate.
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The choice between Oz and McCormick was even more fraught for the former president because Trumpworld is divided over the two front-running candidates. Some of Trump鈥檚 allies have strong opinions on the primary in Pennsylvania, and he risks upsetting friends in choosing Oz, just as he would have had he backed McCormick. ...

Steve Bannon, a former White House chief strategist to Trump, ripped into Oz on his podcast recently: 鈥淗ow does Dr. Oz, probably the most anti-MAGA guy, and you got Fox nonstop pimping this guy out and Newsmax pimping this guy out, and that鈥檚 what it is 鈥� how does Dr. Oz, from New Jersey, [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan鈥檚 buddy, floating in from Jersey, how does he become a factor in a Senate race in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania?鈥�

This time, Trump made clear that electability was top of mind. In his statement, he noted that Oz was a well-known quantity who has 鈥渓ived with us through the screen and has always been popular, respected, and smart.鈥�

鈥淧erhaps most importantly, I believe that Mehmet Oz will be the one most able to win the General Election against a Radical Left Democrat looking to do unthinkable harm to our Country," he added. "Women, in particular, are drawn to Dr. Oz for his advice and counsel. I have seen this many times over the years. They know him, believe in him, and trust him," he said.

When Oz interviewed Trump on his show in 2016, Trump told him at one point that his wife, Melania Trump, was 鈥渁 big fan鈥� of the show.

Oz also has a long personal history with Trump.

Oz said in a recent interview that he had first met Trump in 2004 or 2005 when he asked Trump to use his golf course for an event for Oz鈥檚 children鈥檚 charity. Trump agreed. After that, they saw each other intermittently at social events before Oz interviewed Trump about his health during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump, in conversations, has often praised Oz for his positive treatment on the show. "He even said that I was in extraordinary health, which made me like him even more (although he also said I should lose a couple of pounds!),鈥� Trump wrote in his statement.

McCormick, meanwhile, has made deep inroads with party donors and officials in Pennsylvania, and has landed endorsements from former Trump administration officials Sarah Sanders and Mike Pompeo. But he has had to work to turn himself into a pro-Trump, America First candidate.

McCormick carries strong Republican establishment ties going back to his days in President George W. Bush鈥檚 administration. In 2015, McCormick held a fundraiser for Jeb Bush, Trump's 2016 rival.

That has opened McCormick, who spent a dozen years as an executive at one of the nation鈥檚 biggest hedge funds, to charges from some conservatives that he is a 鈥済lobalist,鈥� a derogatory term as adopted by Trump and others in his orbit to conjure up an elite, international coterie that doesn鈥檛 serve America鈥檚 best interests.

Meanwhile, McCormick and a super PAC supporting him have spent millions attacking Oz.

The ads pick apart Oz鈥檚 long career on TV and as a public personality and accuse him of being a liberal, pointing, for instance, to his repeated public advocacy for 鈥淥bamacare,鈥� former President Barack Obama鈥檚 signature health care law. They also accuse Oz of being too 鈥淗ollywood.鈥�

Oz also has taken heat in the race for carpetbaggery. He lived in New Jersey for two decades until just before deciding to run in neighboring Pennsylvania, where his in-laws live.

Trump's decision drew criticism from some Oz critics, including Parnell, who endorsed McCormick.

鈥淚 have enormous respect for President Trump. I was honored to have his endorsement in PA,鈥� he tweeted. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 disappointed by this. Oz is the antithesis of everything that made Trump the best president of my lifetime鈥攈e鈥檚 the farthest thing from America First & he鈥檇 be very bad for PA.鈥�