Dr. Carol M. Swain, a retired university professor who was tenured at Vanderbilt and Princeton Universities, has published her latest book titled, The Gay Affair.
Read the full storyDr. Carol Swain Previews New Book Titled, ‘The Gay Affair’
Category: Tennessee Star Report
Listen to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy weekdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on WENO AM760 The Flame.
Forthcoming Supreme Court Decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti Likely to ‘Drive a Lot of Change’ Inside Gender Clinics and Hospitals, Tennessee AG Says
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said he believes that if the U.S. Supreme Court rules to uphold Tennessee’s state that bans irreversible gender transitioning treatments for minors in the case United States v. Skrmetti, the demand for such treatments across the nation will also see a halt.
Read the full storyMatt Kittle: Trump’s Case Against Iowa Pollster Should Not be Downplayed
Matt Kittle, a senior elections correspondent for The Federalist, said he believes President-elect Donald Trump’s lawsuit against Iowa pollster Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register will have more of an effect than experts believe.
Read the full storyDave Brat: Ukraine’s War with Russia ‘True Tragedy’ Fueled by U.S. Interests
Liberty University’s School of Business Dean Dave Brat recently returned from a trip to Kiev, Ukraine, with religious leaders and academics to survey the country amid its ongoing war with Russia.
Brat said Ukrainian officials were attempting to woo his group of conservative Christians on board with funding the country’s fight against Russia during the week-long trip; however, he noted that his stance on funding the war “hasn’t changed.”
Read the full storyPolice Must Confirm Existence of Manifesto Reportedly Left by Abundant Life Christian School Shooter, Reporter Tom Pappert Says
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, stressed the importance that the Madison Police Department (MPD) in Wisconsin confirms or denies the existence of a six-page manifesto reportedly written by the 15-year-old Abundant Life Christian School shooter that is being shared by online personalities.
On Monday, MPD identified the shooter who killed two and injured seven at the Abundant Life Christian School as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow.
Read the full storyTennessee House Majority Leader William Lamberth Details How New School Choice Bill is a ‘Win-Win for Everybody’
Tennessee House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) said the new universal school choice bill filed last month in the Tennessee General Assembly is a “win-win” for “everybody” on the issue, specifically for those in favor of a school choice program and those in favor of allocating more funding for public schools.
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert Discusses Silence Around Video Taken by Veteran Inside Texas VA Hospital of Employees Allegedly Having Sexual Relations
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said the director of the Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center in Amarillo, Texas has yet to respond after The Star inquired about allegations made by a veteran who received health care from the facility in 2022 and claims to have documented two employees at the VA facility having sexual relations just feet away from where he was being treated.
Last week, The Star obtained a video from retired U.S. Army Sergeant Donald Belzer, who claimed that the footage shows two staff members at the Amarillo VA Health Care System engaged in sexual activity inside a closet marked “Clean Supplies,” just feet away where he was being treated for a hand injury.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti: State Law Banning Gender Transitioning Treatments for Minors Based on ‘Evidence’
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said Tennessee’s SB1 law that bans irreversible gender transitioning treatments for minors was crafted and implemented based on “evidence” and is being challenged by parties who collectively believe in a “consensus” that is simply not based on evidence.
Read the full storyExclusive: Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti Reflects on Oral Arguments in United States v. Skrmetti
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sat down for an exclusive interview with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy on Friday to detail last week’s oral arguments in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in the case United States v. Skrmetti and how the nation is perceiving the case in the days after.
Last Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Skrmetti, a case challenging Tennessee’s law that bans irreversible gender transitioning treatments for minors.
Read the full storyLegal Expert Mark Pulliam: California Lawsuit Against Trans Doctor Has the Ability to ‘Collapse’ Entire Gender Transitioning Industry for Minors
Mark Pulliam, a retired attorney and Misrule of Law blogger, said a lawsuit filed in California against a doctor who specializes in “youth gender medicine” for medical negligence has the ability to “collapse” the entire “enterprise” of gender transitioning treatments for minors.
Read the full storyLegal Expert Braden Boucek: Federal Government Rule Proposal Would ‘Make Boating Impossible’ in the Atlantic
Braden Boucek, vice president of Litigation for Southeastern Legal Foundation, is bringing awareness to a proposed rule by the Biden administration that can “make boating impossible” in the Atlantic seaboard.
In an attempt to protect the endangered Right Whale, the Biden administration’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed a new rule that would bar boaters from traveling over 10 knots, which is approximately the speed of a golf cart, through North Atlantic Right Whale seasonal management areas.
Read the full storyEJ Haust Raises Questions About Alleged Killer of UnitedHealth CEO
EJ Haust, a digital marketing expert and former journalist, brought attention to apparent inconsistencies with the alleged killer of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson who was apprehended in Pennsylvania on Monday.
Read the full storyAG Jonathan Skrmetti ‘Absolutely Confident’ in How Tennessee Defended Law Banning ‘Gender Transition’ Puberty Blockers for Minors Before Supreme Court
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said he believes that Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice strongly defended Senate Bill 1 (SB1) in front of the Supreme Court. SB1 is Tennessee’s state law that bans irreversible gender transition-inducing puberty blockers and hormones for minors.
Governor Bill Lee signed SB1 into law last year, which forbids healthcare providers from performing or administering to underage children “gender-affirming” medical procedures or treatments – including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex-change surgeries – for the purpose of enabling the child to identify with the opposite gender.
Read the full storyPollster John McLaughlin: Trump Won Landslide Election as Americans Experienced ‘Buyers Remorse’ from Biden Administration
Pollster John McLaughlin said president-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election stemmed from Americans having “buyers remorse” from the policies and actions taken by the Biden-Harris administration over the course of four years.
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert: Release of Full Covenant Killer Manifesto Will Allow a Glimpse into ‘What Went Wrong’ with Mental Healthcare Over the Last Decade
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said the full release of the Covenant school shooter manifesto would allow a glimpse into how treatments for mental health diagnoses, specifically when it comes to transgender individuals, have dramatically changed over the last decade.
Read the full storyEJ Haust Applauds Trump’s ‘Power Move’ While Meeting with Canada Prime Minister at Mar-a-Lago
EJ Haust, a digital marketing expert and former journalist who lived in Minnesota for 12 years before relocating to Tennessee, said President-elect Donald Trump’s meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago was a “power move” that signals how America is back as a “superpower” nation under a second Trump administration.
Trudeau met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, days after the president-elect threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on all goods coming into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico until the two bordering countries work to stop the flow of drugs and illegal immigration into the U.S. via executive order.
Read the full storyEJ Haust: If Joe Biden was a ‘Decent Father,’ Hunter Biden Wouldn’t Need to be Pardoned
EJ Haust, a digital marketing expert and former journalist who lived in Minnesota for 12 years before relocating to Tennessee, said first son Hunter Biden would not need to be pardoned if his father, President Joe Biden, was “decent” and didn’t bring his children up in a “international crime family.”
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert: Democrats ‘Upset’ with Kash Patel’s Nomination to Serve as FBI Director Due to His Intent to Release Full Covenant Killer Manifesto, Epstein Client List
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said Democratic lawmakers and members of the FBI “deep state” are in a panic mode over President-elect Donald Trump nominating Kash Patel to serve as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) due to Patel’s past callings for the full release of major classified documents.
Read the full storyMichael Patrick Leahy Explains How Elon Musk’s Life Goal Makes Him a Unique American Icon
Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star, discussed his thoughts on author Walter Isaacson’s biography “Elon Musk” on Monday’s edition of his radio show. He explained how Musk is a unique American icon due to his lifelong work to “advance the cause of humanity” through his business ventures.
On Monday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Leahy said he read Isaacson’s biography on Musk over the Thanksgiving holiday, which increased his admiration for the richest man in the world since the billionaire began publicly supporting Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election.
Read the full storyTom Zawistowski: Next Ohio U.S. Senator Appointed by Governor Must be Able to Defend the Seat in 2026
Tom Zawistowski, president of the We the People Convention, stressed that the next U.S. senator appointed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to succeed Vice President-elect JD Vance must be a strong enough candidate to defend the seat in the 2026 special election.
Read the full storyBonnie Brezina: Marsy’s Law on Track to be Presented to Voters in 2026
Bonnie Brezina, who serves as the state director of Marsy’s Law for Tennessee, said the proposed constitutional amendment that would expand the rights of crime victims is still on track to be presented to voters on the 2026 general election ballot.
Marsy’s Law, which passed the Tennessee House unanimously and the State Senate by a 27-3 vote earlier this year, must again pass both chambers by a two-thirds majority this upcoming legislative session in order to be presented to voters in 2026.
Read the full storyRobby Starbuck Details Successful Strategy That Led Walmart to Drop ‘Woke’ Corporate Policies
Robby Starbuck, Tennessee political commentator and documentary filmmaker, said he expected a “David vs. Goliath fight” when exposing Walmart Inc. for its “woke” corporate policies, however, ended up in discussions with Walmart executives that resulted in an agreement about the company’s woke policies moving forward.
Read the full storyTodd Bensman: President-Elect Trump’s Migrant Deterrence Rhetoric Already Producing Results
Todd Bensman, senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, said President-elect Donald Trump’s Remain in Mexico immigration program, if implemented on day one of the Trump-Vance administration, is expected to immediately reduce the number of illegal border crossings.
Implemented in 2019 during Trump’s first presidential term, Remain in Mexico allowed Border Patrol to expel certain asylum-seeking migrants back to Mexico while their cases moved through the U.S. immigration court system.
Read the full storyMike Benz Explains Why He Is ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ About President-Elect Trump’s Nomination of Pam Bondi as Attorney General
Mike Benz, a former Trump State Department official and current executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, said he is “cautiously optimistic” about President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to serve as U.S. Attorney General, given Bondi’s shortcomings while she served as Florida’s chief legal officer.
On Thursday afternoon, Trump announced his nomination of Bondi as attorney general just hours after the president-elect’s initial choice, former Florida U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz, withdrew his nomination.
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert: DOJ in Panic Mode to Destroy Documents Before Trump Administration Is Sworn In
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said employees at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) appear to be in a panic mode to destroy evidence that could become problematic under the incoming Trump administration in an effort to save themselves from being terminated or possibly from facing prosecution.
On Tuesday, the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project found a document and product destruction truck outside of the DOJ’s headquarters in Washington D.C. – just days after the Justice Department reported a “division-wide system outage” that prevented its access to certain network files.
Read the full storyJames Erwin Details How Tennessee is Leading the Way in Administering Funding for Broadband Internet
James Erwin, federal affairs manager for telecommunications at Americans for Tax Reform, said Tennessee is leading the nation in awarding funding for broadband internet provided by the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program by ensuring funds do not go exclusively towards government-owned networks (GONs).
Read the full storyAaron Gulbransen: Matt Gaetz Withdrawing from Attorney General Nomination Likely Signals his Run for Florida Governor in 2026
Aaron Gulbransen, executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, said former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz withdrawing his nomination by president-elect Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Attorney General signals his future ambitions to run in the 2026 Florida gubernatorial election.
Read the full storySticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino Launches Bid for Elise Stefanik’s NY-21 Congressional Seat
Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino officially launched a bid for New York’s 21st congressional district over the weekend.
Read the full storyClint Brewer: There is a ‘Deep Trust Deficit’ Between Americans and Legacy Media
Recovering journalist and Nashville-area public policy expert Clint Brewer said last week’s general election proved that Americans no longer trust and are choosing not to believe information put out by “legacy media” outlets.
Read the full storyDeWine’s Senate Seat Pick Could Alienate MAGA Voters, Conservative Leader Warns
Tom Zawistowski, president of the We the People Convention, is not confident that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine will appoint a MAGA Republican to Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance’s seat once he is sworn in as U.S. Vice President on January 20, 2025.
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert: Lawfare Skullduggery in Pennsylvania Proves Democrats Are in Denial After Election Losses
Tom Pappert, reporter at The Pennsylvania Daily Star, said Democrats’ ongoing refusal to accept the election results of the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race which saw Republican Dave McCormick defeat incumbent Democrat Bob Casey (D-PA) is textbook “election denialism.”
While The Associated Press called the race for McCormick two days after Election Day last week, Casey has refused to concede.
Read the full storyImmigration Expert Todd Bensman: Trump’s Strong Border Security Message Being Heard ‘Loud and Clear’ by Aspiring Illegal Aliens
Todd Bensman, senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, said president-elect Donald Trump’s strong border security message is being heard around the world and is already having an impact when it comes to deterring migrants from illegally making their way to the U.S. southern border.
Read the full storyJohn McLaughlin’s Post-Election Analysis: Trump’s Character Contrast, Gut Instinct About Americans’ Needs Won Him the Election
Pollster John McLaughlin said president-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election can be attributed to his character contrast from his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, and his gut instinct about the overall needs of the American people.
Read the full storyNeil W. McCabe: Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense Great Additions to Trump’s Cabinet
National political reporter Neil W. McCabe applauded president-elect Donald Trump’s nominations of combat veteran Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense and U.S. Representative Matt Gatez (R-FL-01) as Attorney General, explaining how the men are expected to bring about a new atmosphere in their respective roles.
Read the full storySteve Baker Explains ‘Only Reason’ Why He Pleaded Guilty in January 6 Case
Steve Baker, an opinion contributor for Blaze News and independent investigative journalist, said he pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges stemming from his presence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, to avoid a “shaming exercise” of a trial by a liberal jury in a D.C. courtroom.
Baker, who is among a small group of journalists being prosecuted for being present at the Capitol on January 6, entered an Alfred plea to avoid a trial by jury in a Washington D.C. courtroom in front of U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper on Tuesday.
Read the full storyFormer U.S. Special Envoy Dan Foote Details How the Incoming Trump Administration Should Approach Haitian Affairs
Former U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Dan Foote detailed how he would advise the incoming Trump-Vance administration to approach Haiti and work to reform the country and reclaim it from violent gangs.
Read the full storyTom Basile: Republicans Must ‘Stick Together,’ ‘Get Stuff Done’ as the Democrats are Already ‘Plotting to Make a Comeback’
Tom Basile, host of the Newsmax show “America Right Now,” discussed how critical it is for Republicans to “stick together” and “get stuff done” quickly during the incoming Trump administration, explaining how the Democratic Party is “already plotting to make a comeback” in the next election.
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert: Trump’s Addition of Elise Stefanik, Tom Homan to His Administration Is ‘Brilliant’
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said he believes President-elect Donald Trump made a “brilliant” choice in tapping U.S. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) and former director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tom Homan to be a part of his administration.
On Monday, Trump announced that he is nominating Stefanik to serve in his cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
Read the full storyLegal Expert Braden Boucek Details How New York Judge Could Still Sentence Trump to Prison This Month
Braden Boucek, vice president of Litigation for Southeastern Legal Foundation, explained the different avenues New York Judge Juan Merchan can pursue on Tuesday when he decides whether President-elect Donald Trump’s criminal conviction in the Stormy Daniels hush money case should be overturned in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity.
In July, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Trump v. United States that Trump is immune from federal prosecution for official acts he took while in office.
Read the full storyShawn Farash Details How his Impersonation of Donald Trump Went Viral
Impressionist Shawn Farash, who has gone viral in recent years for his impersonation of former and president-elect Donald Trump, said he discovered that he did a good impersonation of Trump while working as a salesman selling DirecTV in New York.
Read the full storyMatt Boyle: Kamala Harris Campaign Financing May be ‘A Lot Worse Than it Looks’
Matt Boyle, the national political editor at Breitbart News, said Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign finance issues may end up being “a lot worse than it looks” in the coming weeks and months ahead.
Read the full storyImmigration Expert Todd Bensman: ‘The Tariff Threat is Back’ with President-Elect Trump to Deter 400K Illegal Migrants from Crossing U.S. Southern Border
Todd Bensman, senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, said he believes former and president-elect Donald Trump’s threat to impose hefty tariffs on Mexico if the country does not work to curb the flow of immigration into the U.S. will pressure the country to break up existing caravans with a goal of reaching the border.
Read the full storyJudson Phillips: ‘We Are Looking at a New Golden Age of America’ with Trump Victory
Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation, said Americans should expect to see a “new golden age” of the nation under former and president-elect Donald Trump during his incoming second term in the White House.
Read the full storyRachel Alexander: Expect Arizona’s Election Results to be ‘Dragged Out’
Rachel Alexander, lead reporter at The Arizona Sun Times, is warning that Arizona’s final election results may be “dragged out” for days after Tuesday night as an opportunity for Democrats to “figure a way to change the results.”
Read the full storyJack Windsor on Tuesday’s Race: ‘Anticipatory Energy in Ohio Is Different Than It Was Four Years Ago’
Jack Windsor, president and editor-in-chief at The Ohio Press Network, said the “anticipatory energy” in Ohio for Tuesday’s general election is “different than it was four years ago.”
Read the full storyMatt Kittle: Conservatives Need to Keep Their ‘Eyes Wide Open’ as Ballots are Being Counted
Matt Kittle, a senior elections correspondent for The Federalist, said conservatives should be keeping their “eyes wide open” tonight and in the coming days as ballots are being counted across the nation, specifically in swing states.
Read the full storyRob Bluey Explains How a ‘Fundamental Transformation in the Media Landscape’ Has Allowed Conservative Media to Thrive
Rob Bluey, executive editor of The Heritage Foundation’s The Daily Signal, said conservative media has flourished within the last 15-20 years as a result of the legacy media becoming “too lazy and corrupt to report the news truthfully and accurately.”
Read the full storyNeil W. McCabe: Trump Campaign Is ‘Completely Aligned,’ ‘Perfectly in Sync’
National political reporter Neil W. McCabe said the Trump campaign is “completely aligned” and “perfectly in sync” going into the November 5 general election, which has led to the campaign dominating the news cycle and taking coverage away from Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign.
Read the full storySteve Bannon: Trump Victory on Tuesday Is ‘Within Our Grasp’
Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist and host of the popular show War Room, is confident that victory for former President Donald Trump and other Republican candidates on November 5 is “within our grasp.”
“We’ve got this fight teed up exactly where we want it,” Bannon explained on Friday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert: Joe Biden ‘Deeply Resentful’ of Democratic Party, Sabotaging Kamala Harris’ Campaign for Revenge
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said he believes President Joe Biden is “sabotaging” Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign out of “pure resentment” for how the Democratic Party pushed him to end his reelection bid.
On Tuesday, Biden said on a Zoom call with members of the nonprofit organization Voto Latino that supporters of former President Donald Trump were “floating…garbage.”
Read the full story