How ‘Dr. Phil ‘suddenly became so obvious about immigration

On By Littum

When the Trump Administration’s immigration attack ramped over America, many people were stunned to watch a former TV staple during the day take the center -Phil McGraw, commonly known as “Dr. Phil”, who accompanied immigration agents under Raids around Chicago.

McGraw, who came to national fame with Oprah Winfrey and hosted “Dr. Phil “For more than two decades, said he had embedded in immigration and customs enforcement agents when they arrested” knew criminals and terrorists. “

McGraw in the past year has become a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump’s immigration positions discussing his views on television, podcasts and social media and even on a Trump -rally.

In a statement when he ended his CBS Daytime show in 2023, McGraw said he had “serious concerns for the American family” and that he was “determined to help restore a clarity of the purpose as well as ours core values. ”

He offered a glimpse of his views on immigration during a “Dr. Phil “Show in January 2023. That was when he told his guests and audiences that he thought American immigration laws were not properly enforced and that” we can’t get our action together by doing this the right way. “

But before last year, McGraw did not seem to have used terms such as “illegal”, “border”, “immigration” or “IS” in his social media content.

It all changed in 2024.

Dr. Phil’s words about immigration

  • 5. December 2024: Pinal County, Arizona, Sheriff Sent a “grateful” message To McGraw to bring “attention to the current crisis on our southern border.” McGraw and Tom Homan, Trump’s border Czar, had visited local officials in Arizona to discuss immigration.
  • December 4: On McGraw’s podcast, homan Said hard line actions are needed to secure the limit where McGraw adds, “It will be my honor to help you do so.”
  • October 28: McGraw Sent a piece About “Smugglers’ Highway” in Pinal County.
  • August 27: Trump appeared on McGraw’s Merit -Tv Show and said the recent immigrants were “terrorists” released from South American and African prisons.
  • July 25: McGraw profiled the death of 10-year-old Alex WiseWho was allegedly “killed by an illegal Migrant that had been deported five times. “ Is arrested and withheld a suspect In the hit-and-run crash because he had previously been deported, officials said.
  • April 11: McGraw wrote on x “America, we have problems at our limit. I went to the border to see this crisis first hand, and I have learned that it is even worse than I had imagined. ”
  • February 26: McGraw went on to the “view” to demand The young migrants was forced into indescribable conditions on this side of the border as “We use US tax dollars for known prostitution and sweatshops.”
  • 5. February: McGraw told Fox News That Chinese immigrants stole agricultural secrets and sent the information at home.
  • February 2: McGraw sent out a picture of himself With armed forces with the heading “At the border today with the men and women who protect our country.”

As he became more vocal about immigration, McGraw launched his new media business.

Merit TV – which has a direct streaming option, as well as stains on DirectTV, Spectrum and other linear providers – Launched 10 months agothat claims to search “Common grounds through clarity and common sense, giving traditional family content, while at the same time interfering with the news landscape with objective reporting on questions that matte most for Americans.”

Profit tv is also affiliated Trinity Broadcasting Networkseam carries programming From well-known conservatives like former Arkansas-Governor Mike Huckabee and Child Star-Vende-Social conservative Kirk Cameron.

But it was the name recognition that McGraw built on his talk show during the day that was clear in Chicago this week.

In a scene from the attacks, a man told by Ice, McGraw told, “You are Dr. Phil.”

“How do you know me?” McGraw replied.

“I’ve seen ‘Dr. Phil’ on TV,” the man replied.

The notion of a TV character who appears in such an out-of-concontext situation with regard to Trump, and his policies should not surprise anyone, said Syracuse University professor and TV historian Robert Thompson.

“He likes people who are good on TV who have been on TV, which are celebrities and who are willing to play with him, and ‘Dr. Phil,’ has of course been on TV for a long time,” said Thompson.

“I guess seeing ‘Dr. Phil’ emerging in the middle of one of these great events in the first few weeks of operations, it would be surprising under any normal circumstances. But it is not surprising during the real Circumstances today, ”he said.

David K. Li

Senior Breaking News Reporter

Janhvi Bhojwani

Janhvi Bhojwani is a reporter for NBC News based in Washington, DC She is fluent in Bahasa Indonesia and specializes in using Open Source Intelligence Tools (OSINT) for visual studies, verification, social media discovery and news gathing of user -generated content (UGC).

Samira Puskar contributed.