Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren isn’t one to apologize.
“Before I was hired [at Fox], I made it very clear — this is who I am. I sometimes say things that some people view as controversial,” she explained in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
Lahren moved to California when she was was hired by Fox News Channel as a contributor in August 2017. She is now a top conservative personality on the network’s streaming service, Fox Nation, a platform that launched November to much fanfare.
The powers that be that be seem pleased with Lahren’s work so far, work which includes First and Final Thoughts — her twice-daily short videos “that function as quick hits of outrage.”
“She is somebody who has this innate knack to get people talking, to get people to be passionate, that would be right on brand,” said Fox News evp of development John Finley, who oversees Fox Nation. “We give her guidance but 99 percent of her stuff originates with Tomi and is her voice.”
What’s an example of that voice?
The L.A. Times writes:
Looking into the camera with a glare, she labels Sen. Kamala Harris a socialist, mocks Gov. Gavin Newsom as “Greasy Gavin” and dismisses Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a “dimwit.” She also lashes out at the media’s coverage of “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who at the time faced charges that he faked a hate crime, though prosecutors later dropped the charges. “You need this story to be true to preserve a narrative?” she asked, practically shouting. “That’s sick.”
She’s not exactly loved by progressives, and says she regularly gets death threats. “They think if they say something horrible and disgusting about me, I deserve it because in their minds, they’ve made me out to be this villain,” she told The Times.
Prior to her arrival at Fox News, Lahren was popular among young conservatives due to her digital news segments. She hosted an hour-long show on conservative digital news outlet The Blaze, hosted On Point with Tomi Lahren on One America News Network.
Lahren is also known for her “do-it-yourself process” when it comes to TV, despite having ample resources from Fox News. She does her own hair and makeup, and writes her own scripts. It’s a process she took from her time at The Blaze.
Lahren is also well known in TV news circles for her controversial departure from The Blaze. She was suspended by the company in March 2017 for saying she was pro-choice during an appearance on The View. She then filed a lawsuit against the company and Glenn Beck in April 2017. The suit was settled in May 2017, and Lahren left the network, but not before Beck labeled her “difficult” in his own filing, alleging that Lahren was rude to crew members and clashed with her colleagues.
“The No. 1 question I get from my fan base is a lot of young women asking about confidence,” she told the Times. “They can say whatever they want about me but they can’t say I don’t stick to my guns and follow through with it. I don’t sway with the wind.”