Donald Trump And Dr. Phil's Strange Partnership Has Everyone Throwing Out The Same Insult

Showing none of the defeated appearance he reflected during his hush money trial, Donald Trump soared back into post-verdict action by resuming his rallies, including one at a Las Vegas PAC on a blazing-hot Thursday in June. He also gave his first major interview with a media figure who has apparently joined the MAGA train: Dr. Phil McGraw. The TV psychologist, who now dispenses his advice on the new cable station Merit+, has openly criticized the guilty verdict against Trump, echoing the conservative line about "the weaponization of our justice system" (via Fox News). 

Accordingly, the exclusive interview was more of an ego-stroking than a hard-hitting Q&A. McGraw listed the accomplishments Trump made while in office, praised his "thick skin" in the face of criticism, and talked about "when" Trump would win in November, rather than "if." In the roundtable that followed the interview, McGraw explained his approach, saying he wanted the public to hear what the former president had to say. "I'm not a 'gotcha' interviewer," he said, adding he had extended an invite to President Biden for a similar sit-down.

In return, Trump accepted the praise and echoed his familiar themes: the immigration crisis, the economy, the "Russia, Russia, Russia hoax," and his belief he could have prevented the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel from happening if he'd been in charge. It was a successful campaign stop in the eyes of his followers, but the critics of X rolled their eyes to the sky at the partnership between the two men.

Let's be honest — no one expected Dr. Phil McGraw to be another Walter Cronkite. But his interview with former president Donald Trump evoked jeers from people who were only too happy to point out his own limitations as a media figure. Dr. Phil has taken things way too far on his talk show in the past, including bringing on a guest who was clearly intoxicated, and interviewing actress Shelly Duvall at a time when her mental health was clearly too fragile for her to be seen on national TV. 

Among the comments on X (the former Twitter) was one from a user who pointed out some uncomfortable truths about the TV doc: "Dr Phil has always been a fraud and doesn't hold a license ... Plus is accused by [former patient] Sara Morrison of sexual assault." Another referenced McGraw's penchant for product shilling: "The guy whose TV show has turned into an infomercial for cell phone games we never asked for is interviewing felons now?" Meidas Touch co-founder Ron Filipkowski snarked at McGraw's "serious journalism," which included the question, "You're a billionaire. You got a great family. You're a very dedicated father. Why do you subject yourself to this?"

Trump's less-than-perfect locks, along with McGraw's interview, provided fodder for another critic: "It's not an interview. It's a commercial. [...]What happened to his bangs tonight? Ha ha ha." And another user dismissed the whole interview altogether: "Two sell-out serial grifters grifting together. Nothing worthwhile here."