No, Dr. Phil wasn't present at L.A. ICE raids, but he taped interview with Trump's border czar
As Immigration and Customs Enforcement carries out raids across Los Angeles, former daytime talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw and his TV network MeritTV are covering the actions and protests in the city.
McGraw conducted an interview Friday with White House border czar Tom Homan, who was leading the agency's raids. A portion of the interview was posted on MeritTV's website and the network plans to air a conversation between the men that was "taped the day before and the day after the L.A. operation" in two parts beginning Monday at 5 p.m. PT, according to a network spokesperson reached via email. MeritTV, which launched late last year, primarily features McGraw's show "Dr. Phil Primetime," where he comments on the news and interviews figures ranging from New York City Mayor Eric Adams to businessman and former L.A. mayoral candidate Rick Caruso.
The TV host has previously embedded with ICE officials during raids, including in Chicago earlier this year, where he and his crew taped arrests. However, that wasn't the case this time around in L.A., but crews from his network did capture footage from the enforcement action over the weekend.
Read more: Camp Pendleton Marines deployed to L.A.; after ICE protest, union leader faces a federal charge
'MeritTV news crews were on the ground during the recent ICE operation in L.A. on Friday,' a MeritTV spokesperson said. 'In order to not escalate any situation, Dr. Phil McGraw did not join and was not embedded, as he previously was in Chicago.'
The interview was taped at the Homeland Security Investigations' downtown field office. ICE declined to comment on the interview and whether McGraw was given advance notice of the raids.
McGraw was previously the host of his eponymous talk show, which ended in 2023 after 21 seasons. At the time, CBS Media Ventures, which syndicated the talk show, and McGraw said he wanted to expand his audience in a new venture because of 'grave concerns for the American family.' During the 2024 election, McGraw spoke at then-presidential candidate Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden, though he claimed it wasn't an endorsement. However, he has been a proponent of the administration's positions on immigration and he was recently named to the president's religious liberty commission.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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