Dr. Phil McGraw is issuing a special warning for America and just where we may be headed.
In times of political transition, elections don’t simply bring new personalities into office — they bring consequences. That was the clear message from Dr. Phil in a recent segment of The Real Story, where he unpacked what is unfolding in America’s largest and most influential city.
“If you live in New York City, all I can say is this,” Dr. Phil opened. “Be careful what you wish for. Because elections, they don’t just bring change, they bring consequences.”
On New Year’s Day, newly elected socialist mayor Zohran Mandani took office with plenty of celebration and fanfare. But as Dr. Phil noted, the real story began almost immediately after the confetti settled.
“He could have used his inauguration to unify a deeply divided city,” Dr. Phil said. “Instead, his inauguration speech was a fiery middle finger to anyone who dares to think differently from him.”
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During the campaign, Mamdani appeared charming, upbeat, and hopeful. Yet, as Dr. Phil pointed out, “Once he won the election… I saw a very different side.” The mask slipped quickly. “I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist,” Mamdani declared from the podium. “I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.”
But beneath the slogans lies an old ideology wearing new clothes. “We will replace the fragility of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism,” Mamdani promised. Dr. Phil responded with stark clarity: “Warmth of collectivism. That phrase should set off alarm bells.”
Collectivism, Dr. Phil argued, is not a hypothetical philosophy: it’s a historical one. “You don’t have to speculate,” he said. “With the passage of time, you can measure. And when you look at the track record of collectivism across time, you don’t see compassion. You don’t see warmth. What you see is famine. What you see is economic collapse. What you see is [the] death of tens of millions of people.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani had a unifying moment and chose the opposite. His inauguration speech wasn’t about healing a divided city. It was a declaration aimed at those who think differently. pic.twitter.com/5wlMGaUgzZ
— Dr. Phil (@DrPhil) January 15, 2026
Dr. Phil contrasted collectivism’s guaranteed outcomes with biblical and historic principles of earned responsibility: “Human nature doesn’t change. We thrive on responsibility, risk, and earned success.” But when reward is detached from effort, he warned, “productivity collapses, morality erodes and force becomes necessary… That’s why collectivism always leads to authoritarianism.”
Mamdani’s first actions in office only deepened the concern. Within days, he rescinded multiple executive orders protecting Jewish communities and recognizing internationally accepted definitions of antisemitism.
For Jewish New Yorkers — who have experienced a surge in harassment and violent hate crimes — this was, in Dr. Phil’s words, “a punch in the gut.”
And while Mamdani embraced boycotts and divestment against Israel, he publicly defended Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro — a man now in federal custody. “For a mayor still unpacking boxes in City Hall,” Dr. Phil remarked, “this was a remarkably clear signal of where he stood.”
New York did not merely elect a mayor. “It elected a worldview,” Dr. Phil stated.
In a moment when nations are separating along moral and ideological lines, New York may once again be signaling where America is heading next.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
