Oprah washes her hands of Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz over their pro-Trump politics: ‘Not one thing to do with me’

Nypost · Aug 16, 2026 · 800 words · By Ariel Zilber

Professional Mentorship and Betrayal Political polarization

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What to know about Professional Mentorship and Betrayal

Oz over their pro-Trump politics: ‘Not one thing to do with me’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 18

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Oz over their pro-Trump politics: ‘Not one thing to do with me’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is washing her hands of Dr.

Common ground

Mehmet Oz — two television stars whose careers she helped launch before they veered sharply to the political right and into President Trump’s orbit.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Professional Mentorship and Betrayal story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that She endorsed Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris and campaigned for Stacey Abrams in Georgia?
How does this story connect Professional Mentorship and Betrayal with Political polarization over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/media/oprah-washes-her-hands-of-dr-phil-dr-oz-over…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 18 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 8

check_circle Corroborated 5

verified Verified By Reference 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “She endorsed Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris and campaigned for Stacey Abrams in Georgia.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 2: “Harpo and Oz also became co-founders of the digital-health company Sharecare alongside Sony, Discovery and other partners.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 3: “His first book, “Life Strategies,” became a bestseller in 1999, with Publishers Weekly crediting Oprah’s endorsement as one factor behind its success.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and other references confirm that McGraw published 'Life Strategies' in 1999 and that it was a bestseller.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jackson is a 13-time NBA champ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Jackson

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), better known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author who hosted the talk show Dr. Phil. He holds a doctorate in clinical psycholo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_McGraw

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter known primarily for his orchestral pop productions and recording technique, dubbed "the Wal…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Spector

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “Harpo later produced “The Dr. Oz Show” with Sony”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 5: “Trump appointed McGraw to his Religious Liberty Commission in May of last year.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute this claim.

help

Claim 6: “McGraw subsequently accompanied Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel during an enforcement operation in Chicago alongside Trump border czar Tom Homan.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute this claim.

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Claim 7: “He appeared at Trump’s Madison Square Garden campaign rally in October 2024, where he defended Trump and his supporters”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources confirm Dr. Phil's appearance at the Madison Square Garden rally in October 2024 and his defense of Donald Trump.

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web search NEUTRAL — Dr. Phil McGraw appeared at Donald Trump‘s Madison Square Garden rally, telling the crowd that the former president was “tough as an old Army boot” and pushing back on the idea that he is a bully.
https://deadline.com/2024/10/dr-phil-endorses-donald-trump-m…

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web search NEUTRAL — Dr. Phil McGraw appeared at Donald Trump‘s Madison Square Garden rally, telling the crowd that the former president was “tough as an old Army boot” and pushing back on the idea that he is a bully. At …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO01l3XIDsE

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Donald Trump put on a splashy rally at New York's hallmark Madison Square Garden, but repeated insults and at times racist and misogynistic remarks from speakers threatened to grab the most attention.
https://www.kawc.org/npr-news/2024-10-27/off-color-jokes-vit…

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Claim 8: “Oz began appearing on “Oprah” in 2004 and became one of the program’s most recognizable medical experts.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 9: “Oprah Winfrey told Emmy magazine in an interview published last Tuesday that she doesn't have one thing to do with Dr. Phil McGraw and Dr. Mehmet Oz.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (AOL, Fox News) confirm that Oprah Winfrey told Emmy Magazine she does not feel responsible for the political choices of Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dr. Phil is an American talk show created by Oprah Winfrey and the host Phil McGraw. After McGraw's segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002. On both shows, McGraw of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Phil_(talk_show)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American daytime talk show that was hosted by Oprah Winfrey. The show ran in syndication for twenty-five seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in which it broad…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oprah_Winfrey_Show

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: “Harpo then created “Dr. Phil,” which premiered in September 2002 as the first spin-off from “The Oprah Winfrey Show.””

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that Harpo created 'Dr. Phil' and it premiered in September 2002 as a spin-off of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American daytime talk show that was hosted by Oprah Winfrey. The show ran in syndication for twenty-five seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in which it broad…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oprah_Winfrey_Show

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web search NEUTRAL — Harpo then created "Dr. Phil," which premiered in September 2002 as the first spin-off from "The Oprah Winfrey Show."Harpo later produced "The Dr. Oz Show" with Sony, helping transform him from a recu…
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/oprah-washes…

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web search NEUTRAL — “To Oprah’s credit, the [‘Dr. Phil’] show was her idea.” It’s also to McGraw’s advantage that “Dr. Phil,” co-produced by Winfrey’s production company (Harpo Productions) – along with Paramount and Kin…
https://nypost.com/2002/09/23/dr-phil-makes-a-move-on-oprah/

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Claim 11: “Oz eventually entered Republican politics, running for US Senate in Pennsylvania in 2022 as a conservative Republican”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “Trump endorsed Oz in the GOP primary, which he won before losing the general election to Democrat John Fetterman.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 13: “The Senate confirmed him in April 2025 as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 14: “Winfrey was instrumental in introducing both men to a mass audience on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” before her Harpo Productions helped turn them into stand-alone television brands.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including Wikipedia and news reports, confirm that Oprah Winfrey and Harpo Productions launched the careers of both Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Harpo Productions (or Harpo Studios) is an American multimedia production company founded by Oprah Winfrey in Chicago and based in West Hollywood, California. The name "Harpo" is "Oprah" spelled backw…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpo_Productions

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN, also known as the OWN Network) is an American multinational basic cable television network which launched on January 1, 2011, effectively replacing the Discovery Healt…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey_Network

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 15: “The show became a daytime juggernaut, ranking behind only Oprah for nine seasons before taking over as the syndicated daytime-talk leader after Winfrey ended her show in 2011.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results regarding Microsoft and does not contain information about the show's ratings or rankings.

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web search NEUTRAL — Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. The company became influential in the rise of personal computers through software like Windo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Do what you love. Create the future you want. Explore the career options that Microsoft has to offer Stage.
https://careers.microsoft.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Sign in to check and manage your Microsoft account settings with the Account Checkup Wizard.
https://account.microsoft.com/account-checkup

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Claim 16: “Just days before the election, she publicly endorsed Fetterman”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 17: “McGraw’s relationship with Winfrey dates to 1998, when he helped her during a six-week Texas trial stemming from a lawsuit filed by cattlemen who accused her of defaming the beef industry.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results from multiple sources confirm McGraw's role as a consultant/support during Oprah's beef industry defamation trial in Texas (dates cited as 1997/1998).

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+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 18: “McGraw became one of Oprah’s most familiar experts, ultimately logging 118 appearances, according to official statistics from the show.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While evidence confirms McGraw was a frequent guest and expert on the show, none of the provided sources specify the exact number of appearances as 118.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.