Dr. Phil McGraw wants you to believe he’s just a talk show host who stumbled into politics by accident.
“I don’t think I’m qualified to talk about politics,” he told the New York Times in a profile published Sunday. But the truth is far less innocent — and far more troubling.
For years, the former daytime psychologist has been a willing participant in Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, using his platform to broadcast ICE raids in slick, made-for-TV segments that echo government talking points.
Selling the Raids
In January, McGraw joined ICE on what he described as “a targeted mission,” telling viewers they were not “sweeping neighborhoods like people are trying to imply.” The facts told a different story: that day, ICE arrested 1,179 people nationwide, and nearly half of them had no serious criminal record.
McGraw’s participation wasn’t a one-off. He reportedly brokered a private meeting between Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Soon after, Adams loosened sanctuary city rules, enabling greater cooperation between local police and federal immigration agents.
The timing, advocates say, was no coincidence. “When you are riding along with the government, they are putting you on a publicity tour,” warns Alida Garcia, a former immigration official under Biden. “He is participating as basically a propaganda machine for ICE.”
Boosting Trump’s Narrative
McGraw’s political entanglement doesn’t stop at immigration. He’s appeared alongside Trump at high-profile events, including last fall’s rally at Madison Square Garden and this year’s National Day of Prayer at the White House. After devastating floods in Texas killed over 130 people, Trump appointed him to a so-called “Religious Liberty Commission.”
Even more controversial, McGraw has flirted with Trump’s conspiracy theories — including suggesting that President Biden and Vice President Harris may have been “OK” with Trump’s attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania. “I’m not saying they wanted you to get shot,” McGraw said to Trump on-air, “but do you think it was OK with them if you did?”
Dodging the Obvious
Despite his deep involvement in Trump’s orbit, McGraw sidesteps questions about his political allegiance. When asked whether he voted for Trump, he dodged. “When people ask me about that, I ask them if they’ve listened to what I said,” he told the Times. “Did you?”
He also claims he would have appeared at a rally for Harris if invited — a claim her campaign flatly denies.
The sensitivity is telling. Last week, when Bill Maher pressed him about his participation in ICE raids, McGraw bristled, calling it “bullshit” that he or ICE were responsible for separating families. But the Trump administration has continued separating families — and McGraw’s broadcasts have helped normalize the machinery making it happen.
The Face of a Softer Sell
Dr. Phil isn’t a uniformed ICE officer kicking down doors. He’s something arguably more effective: a trusted, familiar face making mass deportations look palatable to millions of viewers.
And that’s the real danger. His insistence that he’s “not into politics” masks the truth — he’s become a key player in shaping the public’s perception of Trump’s most aggressive and controversial policies.
In the end, Dr. Phil may not wear a badge, but he’s wearing something else: the mantle of an uncritical messenger in an administration that thrives on spectacle. In Trump’s police state, that role may be as powerful as any law enforcement title.