Oprah Winfrey Defends Launching Dr. Oz & Dr. Phil’s Careers Amid Backlash

Oprah Winfrey has finally commented on helping launch the careers of Phil McGraw and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who have since become staunch supporters of Donald Trump‘s MAGA movement.

McGraw, better known as Dr. Phil, despite not being a qualified medical doctor, first appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1988, serving as a weekly expert and relationship strategist. The show thrust McGraw into the mainstream spotlight, leading to his own spinoff advice show, Dr. Phil, which debuted in 2002.

Dr. Oz, meanwhile, made his first appearance on Winfrey’s hit talk show in 2004, serving as a medical expert and regular health contributor. He featured in 55 episodes over five years, regularly sharing lifestyle and diet advice, as well as information on various medical issues.

Like McGraw, Dr. Oz benefited hugely from his time on the media mogul’s popular daytime show, and, in 2009, Winfrey’s production company launched The Dr. Oz Show.

In recent years, both McGraw and Oz have become significant supporters of President Trump. In June 2025, McGraw accompanied Trump’s ICE agents during a raid in Chicago. Trump also appointed him to serve on the Religious Liberty Commission, per The Daily Beast.

Oz, who has been criticized for promoting pseudoscience and questionable medical advice, was appointed to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in 2025. He has appeared at the White House on several occasions, often supporting Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In a recent interview with Emmy Magazine, Winfrey was asked how she feels about giving both men a platform. While she acknowledged the criticism, she said the situation has nothing to do with her.

“People criticize me for Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz, because of their politics or their views,” Winfrey said. “Everybody has their own path in life, and it has not one thing to do with me, and I don’t have one thing to do with them.”

She explained at the time, “The reason and intention behind me giving them their breaks was I thought they had valuable information to share that had been meaningful to me.”

This included McGraw supporting her during a 1998 lawsuit brought against her by Texas cattlemen who sued her for defaming the beef industry. “He was so practical, so down to earth, so real,” she said, adding that she thought he could help others by appearing on her show.

She revealed that she was first introduced to Dr. Oz through her friend Gayle King and also thought he could provide help for people. “I thought he had the language for explaining medical things in a way that was helpful to me,” she shared. “I thought it would be helpful to many other people. And that is how they ended up on the show.”

While Winfrey hasn’t outright criticized Trump, saying she chooses to avoid negativity, she endorsed and campaigned for former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election.