Dr. Phil was embedded with ICE during controversial Los Angeles immigration raids
As federal agents prepared to fan out in Los Angeles for a controversial immigration crackdown, the officers were greeted by a familiar face: Dr. Phil McGraw.
The television personality and his camera crew were embedded with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement when some of the raids took place on Friday.
The footage is being incorporated into a special report on 'Dr. Phil Primetime,' a program on McGraw's conservative TV channel Merit TV, a spokesperson confirmed to CNN.
McGraw's presence on the ground in L.A. reinforces the made-for-TV nature of Trump's immigration crackdown.
Get Reliable Sources newsletter
Sign up here to receive Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter in your inbox. The former daytime talk show host was also embedded with ICE officials in Chicago back in January, when some federal agents were told to be camera-ready for a show of force at the very start of President Trump's second term.
McGraw was on hand Friday 'to get a first-hand look at the targeted operations,' according to his channel. He also chatted with Trump's border czar Tom Homan and taped a promotional interview with Homan.
The Friday raids resulted in the detainment of dozens of people, sparking protests and violent reactions. On Saturday, reacting in part to the television pictures of the chaos, Trump authorized the deployment of the National Guard.
Trump officials have repeatedly tried to maximize television and online attention around immigration enforcement activities this year. Homan and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem are regulars on Fox News and other Trump-aligned TV networks. They also frequently publicize ICE actions on X and other social media platforms.
As protests escalated in L.A., Trump officials used X to justify Trump's extraordinary deployment of the National Guard and warn Angelenos not to impede immigration operations.
'We are not stopping or slowing down. We are not intimidated or apprehensive,' FBI deputy director Dan Bongino wrote in one of his messages.
Trump set the administration's tone through his own posts on Truth Social, at times sounding like the marketer of an action movie.
'A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals,' he claimed on Sunday, promising federal action to 'liberate' L.A.
'Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free,' Trump wrote, spurring criticism from residents who said he was vastly overstating the severity of the situation.
Early Monday morning, as Los Angeles police worked to disperse demonstrators, Trump appeared to be watching TV as he posted about a police press conference and reacted to videos of skirmishes in the streets.
'Looking really bad in L.A.,' Trump wrote. 'BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
29 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Small plane carrying six people crashes off the San Diego coast
Authorities were investigating Monday after a small plane carrying six people crashed off the San Diego coast. The twin-engine Cessna 414 crashed at around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, not long after it took off, the Federal Aviation Administration said . The plane was returning to Phoenix one day after flying out from Arizona, according to the flight tracking website
Axios
30 minutes ago
- Axios
Amid backlash, Tesla remained resilient in Texas
Even as Tesla deliveries plunged nationally this year amid Elon Musk's very visible (if short-lived) alliance with President Trump, there was at least one state where Tesla registrations were up: Texas. Why it matters: The registration data, obtained by Axios through public information requests, indicates loyalty to the brand in its home base, including Texas' large urban and suburban counties. The depth of conservatives' enthusiasm for Musk's automobiles now faces a major test amid the absolute meltdown last week between the Tesla CEO and the president. By the numbers: Texans registered 12,918 new Teslas in the first three months of 2025, a period when Musk, who contributed more than $250 million to a pro-Trump super PAC during the 2024 election campaign, was enmeshed in the Trump administration as the overseer of DOGE, the president's cost-cutting initiative. Over the same period in 2024, Texans registered 10,679 Teslas. That's a 21% increase year over year. The intrigue: The spike in Texas registrations came as Tesla was flailing elsewhere. Tesla's vehicle deliveries plunged 13% globally in the first quarter of 2025 (336,681 electric vehicles) compared with Q1 2024 (386,810). Tesla vehicles were torched at showrooms and the brand's reputation cratered. Zoom in: Tesla saw year-over-year improvements in its sales in some of the most populous Texas counties. In Travis County, new Tesla registrations grew from 1,369 in the first quarter of 2024 to 1,424 during the first quarter of 2025. In Harris County, they grew from 1,526 to 1,837 during the same period. Tesla registration grew from 1,316 to 1,546 in Collin County and from 990 to 1,146 in Dallas County. In Bexar County, registrations grew from 631 to 664. What they're saying:"It's homegrown pride," is how Matt Holm, president and founder of the Tesla Owners Club of Austin, explains the car company's resilience to Axios. "And regardless of all the drama going on these days, people can differentiate between the product and everything else going on, and it's just a great product." "Elon has absolutely and irreversibly blown up bridges to some potential customers," says Alexander Edwards, president of California-based research firm Strategic Vision, which has long surveyed the motivations of car buyers. "People who bought Teslas for environmental friendliness, that's pretty much gone," Edwards tells Axios. Yes, but: The company had been enjoying an increasingly positive reputation among more conservative consumers. Musk was viewed favorably by 80% of Texas Republicans polled by the Texas Politics Project in April — and unfavorably by 83% of Democrats. In what now feels like a political lifetime ago, Trump himself even promoted Teslas by promising to buy one in support of Musk earlier this year. "In some pockets, like Austin, you have that tech group that loves what Tesla has to offer, can do some mental gymnastics about Musk, and looks at Rivian and says that's not what I want or might be priced out," Edwards says. Between the lines:"Being in the state of Texas, you're naturally conditioned to think you're better than everyone else in the U.S. And when you buy a Tesla" — a status symbol — "that's what you're saying. It doesn't surprise me that there's an increase in sales" in Texas, Edwards says. Plus: Tesla's resilience in Texas could have practical reasons as well, Edwards says. Texas homes — as opposed to, say, apartments in cities on the East Coast — are more likely to have a garage to charge a car in, he adds. What's next: Musk said late last month that Tesla was experiencing a "major rebound in demand" — without providing specifics. But that was before things went absolutely haywire with Trump and Tesla stock took a bath last week.
E&E News
33 minutes ago
- E&E News
House Republicans plan scrutiny of Clean Air Act rules
House Republicans are again taking aim at the Clean Air Act, citing the need to bolster the United States' global competitiveness. The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment will hold a hearing this week titled 'Short-Circuiting Progress: How the Clean Air Act Impacts Building Necessary Infrastructure and Onshoring American Innovation.' 'American innovation should not be stifled by unreasonable government red tape and regulatory overreach,' said committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) in a statement. Advertisement The hearing will be the latest in recent years to focus on various aspects of the landmark environmental law, which was last amended in 1990.
