Todd Bensman, senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, said the Biden Administration is desperately trying to escape the press coverage of migrants illegally crossing the southern border by ignoring congressional statutes to allow for the abuse of the parole authority to take place.
Read the full storyTag: The Michael Patrick Leahy Show
Trump’s Debate with Biden on CNN May Backfire, Ohio’s Zawistowski Warns
Tom Zawistowski, president of the We the People Convention, believes former President Donald Trump made a mistake in agreeing to a CNN debate against President Joe Biden.
Read the full storyPublic Policy Expert: TN-05 Race Will Be Heavily Influenced by Fundraising
Nashville-area public policy expert Clint Brewer said the Republican primary race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District will heavily be influenced by fundraising.
Incumbent Congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) and Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston are running in the GOP primary for the 5th Congressional District on August 1.
Read the full storyAaron Gulbransen Says Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Universal School Choice Bill Will Be First Order of Business in January
Aaron Gulbransen, executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, said he believes state lawmakers will craft a final bill for Governor Bill Lee’s universal school choice proposal before the General Assembly convenes in January.
Lee’s school choice bill, the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, failed to pass the General Assembly during its recent convened session.
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert: Sonesta Hotel’s Decision to Back Out of Hosting Israel Summit Shows ‘Lack of Moral Leadership’
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel’s decision to break its contractual obligation to host the 2024 Israel Summit not only appears to be antisemitic but also a “lack of moral leadership.”
Read the full storyBen Cunningham Says Nashville’s Proposed Transit Plan Is an ‘Absolute Ripoff of the Taxpayer’
Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, said the Nashville Mayor’s $3.1 billion transit referendum is a “ripoff” of the taxpayers who are not given a proper voice in the media to express opposition to the transportation plan.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell unveiled his $3.1 billion transit plan, “Choose How You Move: An All-Access Pass to Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety,” last month.
Read the full storyTennessee Governor Bill Lee Signs Bill Allowing the Death Penalty to be Considered in Child Rape Cases
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a bill to authorize the death penalty in child rape cases into law last week. The law now goes into effect on July 1.
The bill, SB 1834/HB 1663, authorizes the death penalty as a punishment for rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, or especially aggravated rape of a child.
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert Discusses Latest Developments in Case Involving Transgender Arrested on Stalking Charges
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, pointed out that McKenzie McClure, the biological female and former Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA) student arrested by federal authorities on cyberstalking charges, may have been subject to a 30-day mental hold as she awaits a detention hearing scheduled for June 3.
McClure, who identifies as a transgender man and prefers the name “Kalvin,” was arrested on cyberstalking charges on April 29 after making a public threat against Governor Bill Lee and leaving a concerning voicemail to CPA in March, which caused two schools to shut down the following day.
Read the full storyAttorney Representing Sponsor of Israel Summit Details Why the Sonesta Hotel Must Reverse Course and Hold Event, Citing ‘Unlawful Religious Discrimination’
Hirram Sasser, Executive General Counsel for First Liberty Institute, said the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel’s decision to break its contractual obligation to host the 2024 Israel Summit next week is an of discrimination.
Read the full storyState Senator Brent Taylor Says Memphis Will Be ‘Hollowed Out’ If Crime is Not Addressed
State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) warned that Memphis will be ‘hollowed out’ if its crime problem is not addressed.
Taylor, who sponsored several crime-related bills in the recently-adjourned legislative session of the General Assembly, said the response he has received from the community in Memphis for his work to crackdown on crime has been positive.
Read the full storyWyoming Secretary of State Slams Governor for Vetoing ‘Basic Election Integrity Safeguards’
Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray criticized Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon’s veto of a proposed amendment to the state’s voter registration rules that would have required Wyoming residents to provide proof of residency when registering to vote, calling the veto move “horrifying.”
Read the full storyTennessee GOP Chairman Confident in Security Measures Taken for Republican National Convention in Milwaukee
Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden said he is confident in the security measures being taken for attendees of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee will host the Republican National Convention from July 15-18, during which tens of thousands of delegates, guests, and press members will gather to officially nominate Donald Trump for president and his yet-to-be-announced running mate for vice president.
Read the full storyFederal Court Case in Ohio Could Reverse SCOTUS Precedent That Expanded Commerce Clause
Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star, said he believes an Ohio court case, Ream v. U.S. Department of Treasury, may succeed in rolling back federal overreach regarding Congress’ power to regulate interstate commerce under the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause.
The Buckeye Institute, an Ohio think tank, filed Ream v. U.S. Department of Treasury in January on behalf of John Ream of Licking County, Ohio.
Read the full storyNashville’s Legally Dubious $3.1 Billion Transportation Plan Sparks Debate over Future Tax Burden
Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, said not only does Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s $3.1 billion transit referendum, which is expected to be presented to Davidson County voters on the November ballot, appear illegal under the 2017 IMPROVE Act, but its implementation would inevitably raise property taxes for residents.
O’Connell unveiled his transit plan, “Choose How You Move: An All-Access Pass to Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety,” last month.
Read the full storyLegal Battle Brews over Nashville Mayor’s $3.1 Billion Transportation Plan
Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, continues to scrutinize the legality of the Nashville mayor’s $3.1 billion transit referendum expected to be presented in front of Davidson County voters on the November ballot.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell unveiled his $3.1 billion transit plan, “Choose How You Move: An All-Access Pass to Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety,” last month. The plan would be funded through a half-cent increase in the city’s sales tax to construct miles of new sidewalks, bus stops, transit centers, parking facilities, and upgraded traffic signals.
Read the full storyMetro Legal Responds to Claim Transportation Referendum Not Legally Authorized
Metro Government has responded to a criticism that Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s proposed transportation plan is not legal under state law.
Nashville Tea Party founder Ben Cunningham recently called O’Connell’s referendum illegal because it would increase taxes to fund projects he argues are not covered by the IMPROVE Act, like sidewalks and traffic signals.
Read the full storyState Senator Ferrell Haile Says ‘There’s a lot More to Being Pro-Life than Just Being Anti-Abortion’
State Senator Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin) reflected on his work in the Tennessee General Assembly during this year’s recent-adjourned legislative session, specifically when it comes to passing legislation protecting children and addressing the effects of illegal immigration at the state level.
Read the full storyAmerica First Legal’s Gene Hamilton: We’ve Launched a New Program That Helps Train the Next Generation of Conservative Lawyers
Gene Hamilton, vice president and general counsel of America First Legal (AFL), explained why the Next Generation (NextGen) Fellowship Program through AFL is a critical tool for young conservative lawyers who seek to “advance the conservative movement in a way we haven’t seen before.”
The mission of AFL’s NextGen Fellowship Program, according to the organization’s website, is to “train and build a bench of lawyers equipped with the legal skills needed to save our nation and to effectively push forward an America First agenda in government, including in future conservative presidential administrations.”
Read the full storyPennsylvania State Senator Doug Mastriano Says GOP Needs to ‘Stop Sabotaging’ Each Other, ‘Come Together’ to Elect Donald Trump in November
Pennsylvania State Senator Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin County) said that establishment Republicans need to come together during this election cycle to support and elect grassroots candidates and former President Donald Trump to office.
Mastriano, who recently detailed his personal experience of betrayal by establishment Republican organizations during his 2022 gubernatorial campaign, said “it’s going to take a lot of effort, energy, and unity” to elect strong Republicans into office this November—especially in the toss up state of Pennsylvania.
Read the full storySports Journalist Jason Whitlock to Host Annual Men’s Summit Next Month at Rocketown in Nashville
Jason Whitlock, sports journalist and host of the Fearless with Jason Whitlock show, is set to hold a men’s summit at Rocketown in Nashville next month.
The summit, Fearless Army Roll Call 2.0, is a “gathering, celebration, and encouragement of men to put on the full armor of God to take a stand against the evil forces destroying American culture,” according to the event’s website.
Read the full storyExclusive: Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Calls the Biden Administration’s Overhaul of Title IX ‘Extreme’
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said the Biden administration’s finalized rule to rewrite Title IX is “extreme,” noting how the administration’s determination to rewrite anti-discrimination rules to encompass gender identity issues appears to be one of its “highest priorities.”
On Tuesday, Skrmetti led six states in suing the Biden administration’s Department of Education on Tuesday over its finalized rule to rewrite Title IX to encompass gender identity and sexual orientation.
Read the full storyMichael Patrick Leahy Announces Launch of The Star News Electoral College Map
Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network, announced the launch of the Star News Electoral College Map for the 2024 presidential election.
Read the full storyMichael Patrick Leahy: The Left’s Lawfare Against Donald Trump ‘Accelerates’ as His Lead Grows in the Polls
Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star, explained how the lawfare against former President Donald Trump “accelerates” as his lead grows in 2024 presidential general election polls.
Read the full storyProtecting Freedoms: State Rep. Chris Todd Highlights Achievements of Tennessee General Assembly
Tennessee State Representative Chris Todd (R-Madison County) reflected back on this year’s session of the Tennessee General Assembly, calling it “productive” in terms of lawmakers passing a “balanced budget” and “protecting the liberties and freedoms” of Tennesseans.
Read the full storyFormer HP Exec and Romney Protege Meg Whitman, Now Ambassador to Kenya, Came up with the Idea of the Kenya Security Force to Haiti
Former U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Dan Foote said in an exclusive interview on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show that former HP CEO Meg Whitman, who now serves as the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, is the official behind the security deal between Kenya and Haiti.
Read the full storyRachel Alexander Calls Arizona Indictments of Trump Alternate Electors a ‘Deliberate’ Attempt to Influence 2024 Elections
Rachel Alexander, lead reporter at The Arizona Sun Times, said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ announcement that the State Grand Jury returned indictments to those who agreed to serve as a slate of alternate electors for Donald Trump had he won the 2020 election is “deliberate.”
Read the full storyNewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams Responds with Deceptive Distractions When Confronted Over His Journalistic Failures to Get Justin Jones on the Record Over 2020 Claim
NewsChannel 5’s chief investigative reporter Phil Williams continues to be criticized for his “journalistic failures” as he dodged an opportunity to confront State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) on his alleged coverup of a 2020 assault of two protesters by a homeless man.
Read the full storyRoger Simon on Pro-Hamas, Anti-Israel Protests on College Campuses: ‘What Happened in Germany in 1937’ Is ‘What We’re Undergoing Now’
Roger Simon, the co-founder of PJMedia and current columnist for The Epoch Times, said the pro-Hamas protests unfolding on Ivy League college campuses across the nation are comparable to the scene in Germany in 1937.
Simon made the comments on Tuesday’s episode of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show after listening to audio of a clip taken from Columbia University where pro-Palestine protesters formed a human chain to keep Jewish students out of an encampment on the university’s campus.
Read the full storyNewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams Refuses to Explain His Failure to Get Justin Jones on the Record about Allegations He Covered Up Report of 2020 Sexual Assault, Tries to Distract with False Claims About Tennessee Star Reporter
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, addressed personal attacks from NewsChannel 5’s chief investigative reporter Phil Williams over the weekend, saying such attacks are “absolute silliness” and a common tactic used by Williams when pressed on his “journalistic failings.”
On Sunday, Pappert reported on an interview between Williams and Dan Mandis, host of Nashville’s Morning News with Dan Mandis on SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, where Williams said that he once asked Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) to respond to claims made by his former close colleague Jeneisha Harris on June 18, 2020 that the state lawmaker had covered up the sexual assault of two protesters by a homeless man.
Read the full storyBen Cunningham Calls Nashville Mayor’s $3.1 Billion Transit Referendum ‘Absurd’
Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, said not only does Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transit referendum appear to be illegal under the IMPROVE Act, but the transit plan’s overall vision of commuters suddenly switching over to public transport is “absurd.”
O’Connell unveiled his $3.1 billion transit plan, called “Choose How You Move: An All-Access Pass to Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety,” last week, which would be funded through a half-cent increase in the city’s sales tax.
Read the full storyNeil W. McCabe: Trump Has Opportunity to Capitalize in New York, Produce ‘Amazing Turnout’ for Republicans in November
National political reporter Neil W. McCabe said the scene of former President Donald Trump visiting a bodega in West Harlem last week “absolutely” resonates with Hispanic and Black voters, which ultimately makes the left “very concerned.”
Read the full storyState Director of Marsy’s Law for Tennessee Bonnie Brezina on Constitutional Amendment: ‘If Not Now, When?’
Bonnie Brezina, who serves as the state director of Marsy’s Law for Tennessee, said the state is in a positive position to vote on Marsy’s Law as a constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot in 2026.
Read the full storyDaily Wire Reporter Brent Scher on NewsGuard: ‘The Censoring of Disfavored News Should Not Be Something That is Acceptable in the U.S.’
Brent Scher, lead investigative reporter and editor at the Daily Wire, said NewsGuard’s censorship of “disfavored” news through its rating tool for media sites “should not be something that is acceptable in the U.S.”
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert on Maryland Transgender Teen Arrested for Planning Mass Shooting: Police Were ‘Proactive,’ Took Threat Seriously
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, discussed the latest developments surrounding a story out of Maryland where police arrested a transgender high school student for a 129-page manifesto that included plans for at least two school shootings.
On Friday, Pappert reported that the student, Andrea Ye, was arrested this week as police say she wrote the 129-page manifesto and shared it with a friend, who then notified police of the document.
Read the full storyCheryl Fritze Discusses Michigan Elementary School Lesson Designed to Teach Students About Pronouns
Cheryl Fritze, director of News Operations for Michigan News Source, explained how an elementary school in Michigan is teaching students about pronouns through a book called They She He Me: Free to Be!, a picture book about “busting gender stereotypes and assumptions one pronoun at a time.”
Read the full storyAaron Gulbransen: Tennessee House Should Have Introduced a ‘Clean School Choice Bill’
Aaron Gulbransen, executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, said the Tennessee House of Representatives should have introduced a “clean” universal school choice bill instead of attaching additional incentives not particularly related to school choice to the bill.
While the governor’s school choice bill in the House includes additional incentives, the Senate’s version solely focuses on the governor’s proposal.
Read the full storyMichael Patrick Leahy: As a Plaintiff in Covenant Manifesto Case, I Want All Documents Released, Not Just the Killer’s Writings Recovered from Vehicle
Michael Patrick Leahy, editor-in-chief and CEO of The Tennessee Star, said as a plaintiff in the case seeking to compel the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) to release the manifesto left behind by the Covenant School shooter, he believes the the full manifesto should be released – not just the “documents in the car” found on the day of the shooting which Metro Legal suggests would satisfy the plaintiffs in the case.
Read the full storyFounder of Tea Party Nation Judson Phillips: 15 Years Later, the Tea Party Movement Was an ‘Abject Failure’
Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation, said 15 years after the Tax Day Tea Party, the movement’s effect on fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free markets in federal politics has been “an abject failure.”
“The Tea Party movement was an abject failure. There’s just no other way to put it. Look at where we are today. When the Tea Party movement started, it was triggered by Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package. Today, that’s a rounding error. The deficit was $10 billion when Obama took over in January 2009. Today, it’s $34 trillion. It’s going up by a trillion dollars every hundred days, and that rate is accelerating,” Phillips explained on Monday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.
Read the full story‘Lives of Others Are at Stake Here’: Ben Cunningham, Roger Simon Discuss Legal Battle over Covenant Shooter Manifesto
Roger Simon, the co-founder of PJMedia and current columnist for The Epoch Times, and Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, discussed the ongoing legal battle over the release of the Covenant School shooter’s manifesto, agreeing that the “lives of others” are at stake as long as the manifesto’s contents are kept under wraps.
Read the full storyColumnist Roger Simon: The U.S. Government Paying for Iran’s Attack on Israel Is the ‘Single Greatest Disgusting Thing in American History’
Roger Simon, the co-founder of PJMedia and current columnist for The Epoch Times, said the U.S. government paid for Iran’s Saturday attack on Israel, which saw 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles launched at the country.
Simon said the money trail could be traced back to the Obama administration when billions of dollars were sent to the Mullahs.
Read the full storyAuthor Geoff Shepard Explains His Role in the Nixon Administration During Watergate and How the Scandal Was ‘Misinterpreted’ for 40 Years
Geoff Shepard, former staffer in the Nixon Administration and author of The Nixon Conspiracy: Watergate and the Plot to Remove the President, explained in an exclusive interview with The Michael Patrick Leahy Show how he came to the conclusion that the Watergate scandal had been misinterpreted for nearly 40 years.
Read the full storyFormer U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Dan Foote Says Haitians Must Have a ‘National Dialogue,’ ‘Govern Themselves’ to Reform Country
Former U.S. Special Envoy for Haiti Dan Foote said in an exclusive interview on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show that the people of Haiti must have a “national dialogue” to begin the process of reforming the country and reclaiming it from violent gangs.
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert: U.S. Rep. David Kustoff Is ‘Ripe for a Challenge’ in Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District Following FISA Vote
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said he believes Tennessee U.S. Representative David Kustoff’s (R-TN-08) vote on Friday against an amendment that would have ended the warrantless spying on United States citizens allowed under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) makes the congressman “ripe for a challenge” this election cycle.
Kustoff and Democrat Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) were the sole members of Tennessee’s congressional delegation to vote against the amendment on Friday, Pappert previously reported.
Read the full storyDr. Carol Swain: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ‘Artificially Contrived,’ ‘Divides Groups’
Dr. Carol M. Swain, author of The Adversity of Diversity, said the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) standards being pushed today are not the same type of diversity Americans rallied around during the Civil Rights Movement.
Swain said her book points out “everything wrong” with today’s DEI standards and how they violate the U.S. Constitution and Equal Protections Protection Clause.
Read the full storyCarol Swain and Neil W. McCabe Explain Why Pro-Life Organizations, Fake Christians ‘Talk the Talk’ but Have ‘No Interest in Ending Abortion’
Dr. Carol M. Swain and national political reporter Neil W. McCabe, while discussing the politics surrounding the topic of abortion, identified how some seemingly pro-life groups and individuals who claim to be Christians “talk the talk and not walk the walk” when it comes to protecting the unborn.
Read the full storyJason Snead on Why Democrats Promote Ranked-Choice Voting: ‘It’s About Pushing Politics to the Left’
Jason Snead, the director of the Honest Elections Project Action Fund, said the practice of Ranked-Choice Voting is a tool used by the Left to “push politics to the left” and “give more power to the left-wing mega-donors.”
Ranked-Choice Voting, an election process where voters can rank multiple candidates for a single office, is currently used statewide in the states of Alaska and Maine, cities including New York City, and other jurisdictions across the nation.
Read the full storyTennessee GOP Congressional Candidate George Flinn Says U.S. Rep. David Kustoff ‘Should Not Go Unchallenged’
Shelby County resident Dr. George Flinn, a Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in West Tennessee’s 8th District, said he is running because incumbent U.S. Representative David Kustoff (R-TN-08) needs to be “challenged.”
Flinn, who has run as a Republican and Independent candidate in U.S. Senate and primary races for Tennessee’s 8th and 9th Congressional districts, said he believes Kustoff “should not go unchallenged” considering the incumbent’s recent voting record on bills, particularly spending packages.
Read the full storyTexas Republican Mike Olcott Corrects the Record After NewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams Falsely Claims His Vanquished Opponent, Glenn Rogers, Is a Conservative
Mike Olcott, a Republican who won last month’s primary election for Texas House District 60, invalidated News Channel 5’s Phil Williams’ claims that his opponent he defeated in the race, State Representative Glenn Rogers, was defeated by “billionaire” pro-school voucher “forces.”
Read the full storyReporter Cheryl Fritze: Trump Needs to ‘Stay on Message’ to Win Michigan
Cheryl Fritze, director of News Operations for Michigan News Source, said former President Donald Trump must “stay on message” in order to win the state of Michigan in the November general election.
In the 2020 general election, incumbent President Joe Biden defeated Trump in Michigan by 2.78 percent.
Read the full storyBen Cunningham: Nashville Mayor’s Transit Plan Appears to be Illegal
Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transit plan, which is expected to be on the November ballot, is likely illegal under the IMPROVE Act, which passed the Tennessee General Assembly in 2017.
The 2017 IMPROVE Act, signed by former Governor Bill Haslam, permits local governments to seek a dedicated funding source via surcharge to support mass transportation projects through local referendum.
Read the full story