Dr. Phil speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

If you want evidence of Donald Trump’s proclivity for propaganda, look no further than Chicago. Our city is literally center stage for a livestreamed internet show about arresting immigrants.

Instead of “Chicago PD” or “Chicago Fire,” it’s a low-rent “Chicago ICE.” This is a Trump production from start to finish. It’s heavy on made-for-TV propaganda, very light on facts. The spectacle stars Dr. Phil, the TV shrink turned MAGA toastmaster. The co-star is Trump border czar Thomas Homan, with numerous ICE, ATF, FBI and DEA officers in key supporting roles. All of them camera-ready.

Chicago’s been on edge since Trump took office last week because one of his many day one promises was a massive immigration crackdown here. Kids have been staying home from school, and parents are not going to work. There was a brief scare at a school late last week, but nothing else really happened until this past Sunday. That’s when Dr. Phil arrived in town, cameras rolling to announce he was now officially an “ICE embed.”

Nothing says you are serious about governing like sending a washed-up TV personality to cosplay with law enforcement.

In his glorified new role as Trump’s propaganda puppet, Phil McGraw, a.k.a. Dr. Phil, shared a briefing video with its own ominous music soundtrack. In his “very serious” voice, Dr. Phil talks about the “high risk mission,” “high value targets” and “not picking up just anyone with a tan, anyone that looks like they don’t belong here.” Yes, he actually pre-butted the expected bigotry. In another “episode” of this MAGA PR show, we see Dr. Phil is now coming to us live from “ICE Command HQ” with an “exclusive” interview with Homan.

Raise your hand if you think Homan’s telling the truth here:

DR. PHIL: Are you going into schools and arresting children at schools?

TOM HOMAN: No.

In a really cringeworthy scene in an unnamed Chicago neighborhood, a handcuffed man in the clutches of an ICE agent is asked by Dr. Phil about alleged sex crimes. Then, per NBC News:

“At one point, the man can be heard asking for a lawyer. At another point, when McGraw asks the man if he’d previously been deported, the man asks: ‘Are you Dr. Phil?’

‘How do you know me?’ McGraw responds.

‘I’ve seen you on ‘Dr. Phil,’ he said.”

We still don’t know if that man was ever formally charged or deported, but that’s mostly beside the point. The real goal, at least for this reality TV show, is producing social media content to feed the Trump propaganda machine via the loyal Trump social media platform, Twitter. For extra content, you can download an app to join Dr. Phil’s internet channel “Merit TV.” Because what’s a Trump project without a little grift?

Screenshot from Dr. Phil livestream showing Dr. Phil and U.S. Border official Thomas Homan in Chicago. (Source: Merit TV)

 

Not even Fox was giving this special access to the Trump immigration efforts in Chicago. Dr. Phil had the whole thing to himself on that first day. Actual journalists had to rely on photo handouts from ICE and the Dr. Phil live-stream to get any information. Days later, there is still very little confirmation about what’s happened here in Chicago.

We were warned that the initial Trump immigration efforts would be long on spectacle, short on substance. That is the Trump playbook, after all. But Dr. Phil’s active role was a bit of a surprise for many here in Chicago. He got his start here in 1988 on the “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Back then, Dr, Phil was more or less a normal guy sharing advice with Oprah viewers. McGraw had his own talk show for 20 years. But somewhere along the way, he veered far right, and now he’s gone MAGA.

Dr. Phil has defended the livestream spectacle, saying it’s all about transparency into the ICE operations. But bypassing journalists to produce made-for-TV propaganda is the opposite of transparency. Even the conservative Chicago Tribune voiced concerns about the Dr. Phil “ICE TV,” saying, “We don’t do show trials nor do we ritualistically lambaste such people in service of political power or television ratings. The Taliban do not roam the streets of Chicago, and their modus operandi should not be applied here.”

The Trib is completely correct, and more news outlets should join in condemning this latest Trump propaganda effort. Chicago and the entire country deserve better.

Jennifer Schulze is a Chicago journalist talking about journalism. You can read her columns at Heartland Signal and on her Substack “Indistinct Chatter.” Follow Jennifer on Bluesky @newsjennifer.bsky.social or Threads @newsjennifer_schulze.