Category: The Michael Patrick Leahy Show

The Michael Patrick Leahy Show

Listen to The Michael Patrick Leahy Show weekdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm on WENO AM760 The Flame.

Lean more about Michael Patrick Leahy at michaelpatrickleahy.com.

JC Bowman and Michael Patrick Leahy Discuss Tennessee Lead’s Plan to Transform the State’s K-12 Public Education

Kaitlin Housler
JC Bowman

JC Bowman, founder and president of Professional Educators of Tennessee, joined The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy for a sit-down discussion regarding the future of K-12 education in the Volunteer State, examining everything from direct instruction and charter schools to education freedom scholarships, civic education, and workforce development.

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Pappert Details New Court Filing Seeking to Make Costa Rica Abrego Garcia’s Sole Deportation Destination

Kaitlin Housler
Kilmar Abrego Garcia

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, detailed a new court filing in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case that seeks to make Costa Rica the sole lawful destination for his deportation, even as the Trump administration continues to challenge the proposal and pursue its appeal in federal court.

Appearing on Friday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Pappert discussed a filing submitted by Abrego Garcia’s attorneys on Wednesday asking U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis to declare Costa Rica the only lawful destination for his deportation.

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Weber, Leahy Debate Direct Instruction, State Role in Tennessee Education

Kaitlin Housler
classroom

TC Weber, author of the Substack “Dad Gone Wild Newsletter,” and The Tennessee Star’s CEO and editor-in-chief, Michael Patrick Leahy, debated the merits of Direct Instruction and the role of state government in public education during Friday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.

The discussion focused on Leahy’s proposal that Tennessee mandate Direct Instruction as the primary method for teaching reading, writing, and mathematics in K-5 classrooms statewide.

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Leahy, Pappert Blast Obama-Appointed Judge for Dismissing Abrego Garcia Human Smuggling Case

Kaitlin Housler
MPL and Pappert

The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy and lead reporter Tom Pappert criticized U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw for dismissing the federal human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, arguing the judge ignored critical reporting about the role of the Biden-era FBI in the 2022 Tennessee traffic stop that sparked the investigation.

On Tuesday’s broadcast of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Leahy highlighted The Star’s Monday publication of a lengthy report authored by Pappert and himself examining Crenshaw’s ruling.

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Michael Patrick Leahy: Tennessee Must Overhaul K-12 Education By Implementing Direct Instruction to Teach Reading and Math

Kaitlin Housler
class time

Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Tennessee Star, is calling for a major overhaul of Tennessee’s education system, arguing that decades of rising spending and bureaucratic growth have failed students and that the state should adopt Direct Instruction as the standard method for teaching reading, writing, and math in elementary schools.

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Tennessee Judges Signal Swift Ruling in Congressional Redistricting Lawsuit, Pappert Says

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Pappert

A three-judge Tennessee panel is expected to issue a rapid decision in the lawsuit challenging the state’s newly approved congressional districts, The Tennessee Star’s lead reporter Tom Pappert detailed during Friday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.

The lawsuit, filed by the Tennessee Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and its president Gloria Sweet-Love, argues lawmakers exceeded the authority granted by Governor Bill Lee during the recent special legislative session by modifying state law governing redistricting timelines.

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EJ Haust Highlights Cuba’s Untapped Economic Potential in Post-Communist Future

Kaitlin Housler
Raul Castro

Following the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) newly unsealed indictment against former Cuban leader Raul Castro and several co-defendants over the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shoot-down, EJ Haust, official guest host of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, said the case highlights growing pressure on Cuba’s communist regime and renewed American attention on the island nation.

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Phill Kline: DOJ Indictment of Raul Castro Signals Major Shift in Trump’s Cuba Policy

Kaitlin Housler
Raul Castro

A newly unsealed U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indictment charging former Cuban leader Raúl Castro and five co-defendants in the 1996 shoot-down of two Brothers to the Rescue aircraft represents an escalation in U.S. efforts to hold Cuba accountable for the deaths of four men, according to former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline.

The DOJ announced Wednesday that Castro and five alleged Cuban regime co-conspirators were charged with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft, and murder for the February 24, 1996, destruction of two unarmed civilian planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue over international waters.

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Phillips, Leahy Say Nashville ‘Needs Its Own Spencer Pratt’ Ahead of 2027 Mayoral Race

Kaitlin Housler
Spencer Pratt

Tea Party Nation Founder Judson Phillips and The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy argued that Nashville could become fertile ground for an “insurgent” political campaign modeled after the AI-driven strategy used by Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt.

Speaking during Wednesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Phillips praised Pratt’s unconventional campaign style, saying, “Pratt’s campaign, anybody who’s thinking about running as a Republican, particularly if you’re running for a significant office, you need to emulate Spencer Pratt’s campaign.”

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Pappert: Suspected San Diego Attackers Appeared Motivated by Nihilist Violent Extremist Culture of Death and Fame

Kaitlin Housler
MPL

As law enforcement continues to investigate Monday’s deadly attack at an Islamic center in San Diego that left three people dead and ended with the apparent suicides of the two suspected shooters, investigators say the suspects left behind a lengthy manifesto outlining extremist ideological views and apparent motivations for the attack.

The Tennessee Star’s lead reporter Tom Pappert discussed the alleged 75-page manifesto of the suspected shooters, who have since been identified as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vazquez, during an appearance Wednesday on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.

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Pappert Predicts ‘Two Hours of Nothing but Craziness’ in Candace Owens-Hunter Biden Interview

Kaitlin Housler
Candace Owens

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said podcaster Candace Owens is set to release a headline-grabbing interview with Hunter Biden this week that could revisit the controversy surrounding Biden’s laptop while showcasing what Pappert described as Owens’ effort to “find allies on the Left.”

On Monday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Pappert discussed preview clips Owens released teasing her interview with Biden, which is scheduled to air Thursday.

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Pappert Sounds Alarm over ‘Social Worker’ Style Security Patrols in Downtown Nashville

Kaitlin Housler
MPL and Pappert

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, is raising concerns about Nashville’s decision to allow the newly formed “people first” security company Civicity to patrol downtown streets, questioning whether the organization’s emphasis on de-escalation and social worker-style intervention signals a move away from traditional policing in the city’s growing entertainment district.

Pappert, during an appearance Monday on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, discussed the recent launch of Civicity, a security division founded in March by Block by Block and SMS Holdings, which has reportedly taken over downtown patrol responsibilities following the expiration of a previous contract with Soleran.

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Pulliam: Supreme Court ‘Has to’ Take John Eastman Case to Stop ‘Tyrannical Oppression’

Kaitlin Housler

Legal commentator and retired attorney Mark Pulliam said the U.S. Supreme Court “has to” take former Trump attorney John Eastman’s appeal of his California disbarment, warning that failing to intervene would give a “green light to this tyrannical oppression” and further erode First Amendment protections for lawyers who provide controversial legal advice.

Pulliam, during Monday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, criticized California’s attorney discipline system, calling it a “kangaroo court” and comparing the proceedings against Eastman to “Star Chamber” tactics and “the Spanish Inquisition.”

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EJ Haust Blasts Fairfax County Sanctuary Policies After Explosive House Hearing

Kaitlin Housler
Steve Descano

EJ Haust, official guest host of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, criticized Fairfax County, Virginia, immigration and prosecution policies following a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing titled “Fairfax County, Virginia: The Dangerous Consequences of Sanctuary Policies.”

The hearing, held before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, examined the impact of sanctuary policies and featured testimony from Fairfax County officials, immigration experts, crime victims’ families, and legal advocates.

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Shawn Farash Torches Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s Comeback Attempt

Kaitlin Housler
Shawn Farash

As former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry is again weighing a run for Congress, this time in Tennessee’s newly redrawn 6th Congressional District, podcaster and Trump impressionist Shawn Farash said Barry’s infamous romantic scandal with her security guard that led to her resignation in 2018 remains one of the “funniest stories” he has ever heard.

Barry, a Democrat, resigned as Nashville Mayor in 2018 after it was revealed she financed an affair with her bodyguard, MNPD Sgt. Rob Forrest, using nearly $175,000 in taxpayer money and utilizing taxpayer resources and vehicles to facilitate meetings at the Nashville City Cemetery.

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Reeves Describes ‘Havoc’ Inside Tennessee Capitol During Redistricting Vote

Kaitlin Housler
State Rep. Lee Reeves

Tennessee State Representative Lee Reeves (R-Franklin) sat down with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy, where he offered a detailed firsthand account of last week’s chaotic scenes inside the Tennessee Capitol during the three-day special session on congressional redistricting.

During Tuesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Reeves said he witnessed “havoc” unfold from his seat inside the House chamber as Democrats joined demonstrators in protesting the Republican-backed congressional map approved during the special session.

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‘Mob Rule’: State Rep. Rusty Grills Describes Firsthand Account of Tennessee Capitol Chaos During Redistricting Vote

Kaitlin Housler
Rusty Grills

State Representative Rusty Grills (R-Newbern) strongly defended Tennessee’s newly passed congressional map during an exclusive interview Friday morning, describing the day prior’s protests inside the Tennessee Capitol during proceedings as “mob rule” and accusing Democratic lawmakers and activists of deliberately disrupting legislative business.

On Thursday, the Tennessee General Assembly approved legislation creating a new congressional map that, among other changes, divides the City of Memphis among three congressional districts.

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Phill Kline: ‘Partisan Redistricting Has Always Been a Part of the American Political Culture’

Kaitlin Housler
SCOTUS

Phill Kline, former Kansas Attorney General, said the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision reaffirmed a longstanding constitutional principle that congressional redistricting is fundamentally a political question reserved for state legislatures.

Kline’s comments come amid the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais that Louisiana’s congressional map, which was drawn to create a second majority-black district, constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

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Pappert Predicts Difficult Path for Republicans Challenging Blackburn in Governor’s Race

Kaitlin Housler
Marsha Blackburn, Tom Pappert

With a new poll showing U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) continuing to dominate the Republican field in the upcoming 2026 gubernatorial primary, The Tennessee Star’s lead reporter Tom Pappert said Thursday that Blackburn has become so entrenched in Tennessee politics that only a political collapse by the senator herself could fundamentally alter the race.

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Leahy: Aggressive Redistricting a Necessary Strategy for Republicans as Tennessee Map Advances

Kaitlin Housler
MPL

As Tennessee lawmakers are moving quickly to advance a new congressional map, The Tennessee Star’s CEO and editor-in-chief, Michael Patrick Leahy, argued that aggressive redistricting reflects a necessary political strategy for Republicans across the nation.

On day two of the anticipated three-day special legislative session of the Tennessee General Assembly, state Republicans released a proposed new congressional map that, among other changes, would divide Memphis into three districts, effectively eliminating the state’s lone Democratic district.

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Pappert: Defamation Lawsuit Alleges Candace Owens Had Records That Undermine Claims by Podcast Guest

Kaitlin Housler
Candace Owens

The Tennessee Star’s lead reporter, Tom Pappert, outlined the central allegations in a newly filed defamation lawsuit against podcaster Candace Owens, highlighting claims that she amplified unverified accusations tied to the assassination of Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk despite having information that may have contradicted them.

During an appearance Tuesday on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Pappert walked through the central arguments of the case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee by security firm owner Brian Harpole.

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New Report from Daily Wire’s Luke Rosiak Exposes Billions in Questionable Medicaid Spending Across Ohio via Medicaid Home Care Loopholes

Kaitlin Housler
doctor patient

A new investigative piece by journalist and Dao Prize winner Luke Rosiak highlights what he says is widespread waste and potential abuse in Medicaid-funded home health care programs in Ohio, raising more questions about how taxpayer dollars are being spent under federal and state waiver systems.

Rosiak’s reporting, shared in the form of an X article, focuses on what he describes as a “massive trove of data” on Medicaid billing that he says allows the public, for the first time, to examine how companies are reimbursed for home-based care services.

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Legal Analyst: Supreme Court Ruling Signals Restoration of Original Meaning of Voting Rights Law

Kaitlin Housler
Supreme Court justices

Legal commentator and retired attorney Mark Pulliam said the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais is likely to upend decades of redistricting law and ultimately shift congressional power by allowing states to revisit race-based districting under the Voting Rights Act.

Last week, the Court opened the door for states to redraw racially gerrymandered districts after ruling 6-3 that Louisiana’s revised congressional map, which was designed to create a second majority-black district, constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

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AFP-TN’s Pamela Furr Highlights Education, Tax, Regulatory Wins After Legislative Session

Kaitlin Housler
Pamela Furr

In the days following the Tennessee General Assembly’s adjournment of its latest legislative session, Americans for Prosperity–Tennessee (AFP-TN) Grassroots Director Pamela Furr is pointing to a series of key policy wins advancing the organization’s priorities in education, taxes, and regulatory reform.

During a Friday appearance on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Furr highlighted AFP’s role in expanding school choice, reducing government regulation, and advancing limits on taxation, framing the session as a success for advocates of limited government.

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Blackburn Slams Democrats Over DHS Funding While Promoting ICE Partnership Bill

Kaitlin Housler
DHS hire

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) spoke exclusively with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy on Wednesday, outlining new legislation aimed at expanding cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, while also criticizing Democrats over immigration enforcement and their continued refusal to fund the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

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Leahy, Pappert Say ‘NICE’ Rebrand of ICE Could Boost GOP Messaging

Kaitlin Housler
ICE

The Tennessee Star’s CEO and editor-in-chief, Michael Patrick Leahy, and lead reporter, Tom Pappert, argued renaming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or “NICE,” could offer Republicans a significant messaging advantage.

Speaking during Tuesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Leahy and Pappert framed the proposal, which was recently endorsed by President Donald Trump, as both politically strategic and easier to implement than many assume.

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Leahy, Pappert: Defamation Lawsuit Focuses on The Atlantic’s Reliance on Anonymous Sources and Alleged Failure to Address Pre-Publication Rebuttals

Kaitlin Housler
Kash Patel

The Tennessee Star’s CEO and editor-in-chief, Michael Patrick Leahy, and lead reporter Tom Pappert argued FBI Director Kash Patel’s lawsuit against The Atlantic could become a pivotal test of both defamation law and modern journalistic standards, centering on whether the outlet’s reliance on anonymous sources and its alleged failure to address pre-publication rebuttals rise to the level of “reckless disregard for the truth.”

During Wednesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Leahy and Pappert discussed the legal standard set by New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, which requires public officials to prove “actual malice” in defamation cases.

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