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Dr. Phil McGraw, who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and hosts the television show Dr. Phil, came under fire for his comments about coronavirus during an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham. During the interview, Dr. Phil commented on the lockdown that has been placed on the United States because of COVID-19.
Dr. Phil said the economic fallout from the measures will last years, and he compared coronavirus deaths to other deaths, including drownings and car accidents. Here is the clip:
Dr. Phil appears on Laura Ingraham and says we don’t shut the country down for automobile deaths, cigarette related deaths, and swimming pool deaths
Dr. Phil Questions Why the United States Doesn’t Shutdown for Other Death Risks, Including Car Accidents & Drownings
Dr. Phil joined Ingraham to discuss not only the economic impacts of the COVID-19 shutdown but also the mental health effects. His comment that sparked controversy online was:
Two hundred fifty people a year die from poverty, and the poverty line is getting such that more and more people are going to fall below that because the economy is crashing around us. And they’re doing that because people are dying from the coronavirus, I get that. But look, the fact of the matter is, we have people dying, 45,000 people a year die from automobile accidents, 480,000 from cigarettes, 360,000 a year from swimming pools, we don’t shut the country down for that. But yet we’re doing it for this? And the fallout is going to last for years because people’s lives are being destroyed.
The entire Fox News segment is available below:
‘Dr. Phil’ Trended on Twitter After He Made the Comment on Fox News
Some Americans did not agree with Dr. Phil’s assessment during his interview with Ingraham. Many took to Twitter to voice their outrage:
Jessica Huseman, a journalist with ProPublica, said:
She said, “Dr. Phil voluntarily relinquished his medical license after several run-ins with Texas medical regulations. He is currently licensed to practice in zero (0) states.”
In another tweet, she said, “Honestly one of the better things about ALL OF THIS is that TV doctors have all revealed their true idiocy.”
Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, tweeted:
She said, “3,600 Americans die in pools each year; not 360,000 ‘Dr’ Phil has doctorate in psychology. He is not a medical doctor. He’s not even licensed to practice psychology.”
Charlotte Clymer, a writer, said:
To those finding out Dr. Phil is a hack — welcome to the party! We have snacks.
She said, “To those finding out Dr. Phil is a hack — welcome to the party! We have snacks.”
TMZ Sports’ Robert Littal tweeted:
He said, “Never a bad time to point out that Dr. Phil is not a licensed doc and has done some real shady things in the past.”
Comedian W. Kamau Bell tweeted:
He said, “Dr. Drew: ‘We won’t get anywhere near 20,000 deaths!’ Dr. Oz: ‘Hold my green bean weight loss extract… What’s the big deal if only 2-3% of people die???’ Dr. Phil: ‘Hold my bestselling psuedo psychology book filled w/ folksy yet nonsensical catchphrases…'”
Dr. Phil Responds to the Criticism He Received
Dr. Phil addressed the criticism he received on Thursday, and he clarified his feelings on the situation. He responded to the situation during his Friday episode of Dr. Phil. Below is the video:
To read about Dr. Phil’s reponse, click the “Read Next” link below:
READ NEXT: WATCH: Dr. Phil Responds to Criticism After Comments on Fox News