(NewsNation) — In a special edition of NewsNation’s “CUOMO,” Dr. Phil McGraw and Bill O’Reilly offered insights into the causes of deep divisions in America and potential outcomes in the U.S. if former President Donald Trump wins again.
McGraw, who is launching a cable TV network, focused on the root causes of division in America. He makes a diagnosis on everything from social media, “wokeness,” the border crisis, politics and what President Joe Biden‘s age and Trump’s antics mean to America’s collective cause.
McGraw laid out his case for what is causing division, who is behind it and a potential cure.
Following McGraw’s analysis, O’Reilly who is an author and journalist, assessed the potential implications of another Trump presidency. O’Reilly delved into what improvements might occur under Trump’s leadership and why some concerns about authoritarian tendencies can be disregarded.
Cuomo, O’Reilly and McGraw also took calls from viewers asking their most pressing questions.
“Quit trying to be right, start solving problems“
McGraw is urging Americans to start having in-person conversations to combat strong political divisions and the nation’s mental health crisis.
“Quit trying to be right, start solving problems,” McGraw said during an interview with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo. “We need to start talking to each other. Just because you disagree with someone doesn’t mean you have to hate them. You can disagree, and then you can go to lunch.”
McGraw is one of the country’s most trusted mental health professionals. He has a way of taking on the toughest topics and breaking them down to give common sense advice that resonates with his viewers.
After ending a 21-year run with CBS Media Ventures in May 2023, the psychologist teamed up with Fort Worth-based Trinity Broadcasting Network to launch a new television network: “Merit Street Media.”
His show, “Dr. Phil Primetime,” is set to premiere April 2 on his new network, which will also feature live news programs, true crime dramas and more. He’s also published a new book: “We’ve Got Issues: How You Can Stand Strong for America’s Soul and Sanity.”
“This country was founded on, and built on, meritocracy, where talent, hard work is rewarded. … We need to get back to recognizing that when people work hard, they should be rewarded. When they don’t, they shouldn’t,” McGraw said on “Cuomo.”
McGraw alluded to the “woke culture,” and said there are people “trying to pretend our history didn’t happen.
“But you can’t change history. I’m not left, I’m not right. I’m fact-based. I deal with science, facts, reality. I deal with real people that come to me with real challenges looking for solution. … You can’t make things up because you want them to be different. And that’s something that is really disrupting a lot of people’s feelings of safety and security.”
“I’m pro-immigration; it has to be controlled”
McGraw said he’s all for immigration but believes the border is “out of control.”
“I want to be clear. I am very pro-immigration, 100%. But I think it has to be controlled. We need to know who is coming into our country,” McGraw said while taking viewer questions.
McGraw visited the southern border in Texas last month and has previously been critical of the Biden administration’s response to the problems there.
O’Reilly: ‘Trump is running on grievance’ and previously won with it
O’Reilly says former President Donald Trump “is running on his grievance and his MAGA followers‘ grievance,” in response to the media coverage on Trump’s “blood bath” comment if he loses the election.
“He did it the first time. He won with it. And he’s trying it again,” O’Reilly said.
The Biden campaign has launched a new ad capitalizing on Trump’s recent remarks. The ad also highlights Trump’s past statements, including his praise for white supremacists in Charlottesville.
Trump’s “blood bath” comment, however, referred to the auto industry‘s fate in case of his defeat. O’Reilly dismissed President Joe Biden‘s ad as “disgraceful,” but said he didn’t think the president was even aware of it.
While calling Trump’s rhetoric on becoming a “dictator” if reelected just populist “talk,” O’Reilly said he believes Trump could better address issues such as crime, immigration and ending the Ukraine war than Biden has.
On Trump’s Charlottesville remarks about “good people on both sides,” O’Reilly said the former president was referring to debates around removing Confederate statues, not the neo-Nazi groups present at the protest immediately proceeding his comment.
Still, NewsNation host Chris Cuomo pressed O’Reilly on whether Trump’s previous hardline policy positions, including deporting millions of immigrants, constitute legitimate threats of harsh actions.
“It’s just talk. It’s Huey Long populist stuff,” O’Reilly responded, adding he’s confident Trump would “govern pretty much the way he governed the first time around.”
“I have more confidence that Donald Trump could stop the Ukraine war, 1,000 times more confidence than Biden could,” O’Reilly said.