During a White House event marking the National Day of Prayer, TV personality Dr. Phil McGraw sparked a social media firestorm by praising President Donald Trump as a man of “deep conviction.” The phrase, seemingly meant to highlight Trump’s faith and dedication, quickly backfired—thanks to Trump’s very public criminal record.
Standing beside the president in the White House Rose Garden, Dr. Phil lavished praise on Trump in front of an applauding audience.
“I’ve sat with President Trump with no cameras around, nobody listening, nobody watching, and I’m telling you, this is a man of deep faith, a man of deep conviction,” Dr. Phil said. “This is a man who wants this country to have a heart, to have religion, and God bless America for giving us President Donald Trump.”
Trump, convicted last year on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, beamed as the crowd applauded.
But outside the White House gates—and all over Twitter—the reaction was swift, sarcastic, and ruthless.
Read Also: Microsoft Sends a Message: Drops Trump-Friendly Law Firm in Favor of One Battling His Agenda
Twitter Has a Field Day
Within minutes, the term “deep conviction” began trending, with thousands of users poking fun at Dr. Phil’s unintentional double entendre.
@RiotGrrrl2025:
“Dr. Phil calls Trump a man of deep conviction. 34 convictions, actually. 😏”
🔁 12.6K retweets | ❤️ 38.2K likes
@LegalEagleUSA:
“Dr. Phil wasn’t wrong. Trump is a man of conviction. Just… not the kind you say in polite company.”
🔁 9.1K retweets | ❤️ 24.3K likes
@BlueWave_News:
“Imagine praising a guy for his ‘convictions’ a year after he was literally convicted 34 times. Satire writes itself.”
🔁 7.4K retweets | ❤️ 19K likes
@MAGA_Reckoning:
“Dr. Phil: ‘This man is deeply convicted.’
America: ‘Yes, your honor. 34 times’.”
🔁 11.2K retweets | ❤️ 30.5K likes
A Reminder of the Facts
Trump’s 34 convictions in May 2024 stemmed from a high-profile case involving falsified business records used to conceal hush money payments to Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 election. The case made Trump the first former—or current—U.S. president ever convicted of a felony.
In addition, Trump was under investigation for mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House in 2021. Though special counsel Jack Smith dropped the case following Trump’s return to office in 2024, the scandal continues to dog his presidency.
Dr. Phil Faces Backlash
While Dr. Phil has previously expressed support for Trump in interviews, this latest public endorsement—delivered from the White House podium—drew intense backlash.
@EleniSaid No summed up the mood in one tweet:
“Dr. Phil just destroyed 20 years of TV credibility with one line.”
Others accused him of using religion as a political weapon or of helping whitewash Trump’s criminal history under the guise of moral leadership.
Final Word?
Dr. Phil may have intended to offer heartfelt praise for a president he admires, but the internet wasn’t having it. In a world where words are dissected in real time, calling Donald Trump a man of “deep conviction” may go down as one of the most unintentionally ironic lines of the year.
