Dr. Phil says legacy media is 'creating criminals' by distorting LA riot coverage

Dr. Phil blamed the media for "encouraging" the ongoing anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles Thursday.

On "The Real Story," the talk show host shared multiple photos and videos of chaos from the riots in L.A., and juxtaposed it with how members of the media have worked to downplay it. 

"Your eyes don’t deceive you, but the media does," he said. 

In one clip, he showed CNN host Dana Bash downplaying what is happening in L.A. in comparison to 1992, saying, "That was a real riot."

LIBERAL MEDIA DOWNPLAYS LA RIOTS, DISMISS VIOLENCE AS ISOLATED WHILE TOUTING 'PEACEFUL' ANTI-ICE PROTESTS

Dr. Phil slammed media coverage of the riots in Los Angeles over ICE deportations. (Dr. Phil Primetime YouTube channel)

"Guess this isn’t a real riot," Dr. Phil quipped sarcastically.

He proceeded to share a video of MSNBC interviewing Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., with a split screen of cars on fire as she referred to the riot as a "manufactured crisis." Dr. Phil retorted that MSNBC’s news coverage is what’s actually "manufactured." 

He mocked one MSNBC reporter saying the protest had a "celebratory atmosphere," while another host said that these are "peaceful" protests that whole families are attending. 

"Great place to take kids," Dr. Phil joked with more sarcasm. "I don’t think so."

After showing multiple examples of violent criminals rounded up by ICE, he said, "Look, this was not a witch hunt to round up ‘Abuela Maria.’ It's law enforcement getting criminals off the street. 

"So what does the left do? Encourages everyone to become criminals by blocking freeways, setting fires, throwing rocks, destroying city property and attacking federal agents."

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Protesters confront Los Angeles police department personnel in riot gear in downtown Los Angeles on Monday, June 9, 2025.  (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

"The real story? This isn’t just about immigration, it’s about media betrayal."

He continued, "This isn't just a protest anymore. Everybody has the right to protest, that's one of the things that makes this country such a wonderful place to be. This is a movement fed by media distortions and open hostility toward any effort to enforce the law."

The host argued that rhetoric about abolishing ICE is just as nonsensical as calling to abolish the police, and is functionally just advocating for open borders. 

He then highlighted MSNBC's Jacob Soboroff as a "so-called ‘journalist’ making the case that there’s nothing wrong with coming and staying in the US illegally."

"The media isn't just rewarding bad behavior by sugarcoating it, [they’re] encouraging it," Dr. Phil said after the clip. "They're actually saying, ‘Hey, this is okay.’ They're creating criminals. They're lying to viewers, even though the video speaks for itself."

A protester places debris in a fire as Border Patrol personnel in riot gear and gas masks stand guard outside an industrial park in Paramount, Calif., on Saturday, June 7, 2025.  (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

"This is why mainstream media viewership has tanked," he added. "If you want the truth, you need to look for the truth, find it, demand it, it's out there. You need to cut through the legacy media noise."

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Fox News Digital reached out to CNN and MSNBC for comment.