Television personality Dr. Phil, whose real name is Phil McGraw, recorded a passionate video message condemning America’s elite universities for their response to the issue of campus anti-Semitism. In the video, McGraw expressed his dismay at the “sickening smugness” displayed by university leaders in their testimony on Capitol Hill.
According to McGraw, the university presidents were asked a straightforward question about whether calling for the genocide of Jews violated their policies against bullying and harassment. He criticized their evasion of the question and accused them of fostering intellectual rot rather than critical thinking in their institutions.
McGraw was particularly incensed by the university presidents’ insistence on considering “context” when addressing the issue of anti-Semitism on their campuses. He pointed out that such context would not be required if the target of genocide were any other group, such as Asians, Catholics, blacks, or gays. He emphasized the importance of protecting all student groups, including Jewish students, and demanded accountability from the university leaders.
The video message was filmed at Dr. Phil’s Trinity Broadcasting Network studio in Dallas and came in the wake of the resignation of Liz Magill, the president of the University of Pennsylvania. There was also pressure on Harvard University President Claudine Gay to step down due to her testimony and allegations of plagiarism related to her doctoral thesis.
The House of Representatives voted to condemn the testimony of university presidents who declined to take a stand against students who called for the genocide of Jewish people during their congressional testimony on December 5. The testimony was in response to pro-Palestinian rallies on many university campuses following Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza, which resulted in significant civilian casualties.
In his video, Dr. Phil demanded the resignation of the university presidents over their failure to protect Jewish students. He emphasized the need for decisive action and called for the immediate resignation of all presidents involved.
While Dr. Phil is not typically known for his political commentary, he has spoken out on various contentious issues in recent years. These include the risks of social media use for teenagers, defunding the police, and President Joe Biden’s mental fitness. He has been vocal in addressing these issues and has refused to remain silent on contentious topics.
It is evident that Dr. Phil is unafraid to take a stand when he believes the well-being of individuals is at stake. His recent video message condemning the university presidents serves as a reminder of the importance of taking a strong and principled stance on issues of moral and ethical significance.
