Brentwood resident Tomi Lahren, host of OutKick’s Tomi Lahren is Fearless, a web-based program recorded in Nashville for OutKick Media, began her career in 2015 right out of college as host of On Point with Tomi Lahren on One America News cable news station based in San Diego.
A year later she went to Texas to host the program Tomi on The Blaze.
“I grew up with The Blaze and was a really big fan," she said.
Since that time Lahren has become known for her no-holds-barred, “equal opportunity” and outspoken critique of local, national and international news and events.
“It was a great time doing my show there in 2016," she said. “We had victories and it was a good time to be a 25-year-old in conservative politics.”
After two years with The Blaze Lahren moved back to California to be a contributor on Fox News, the host of Fox Nation programs Final Thoughts and No Interruption and work on commentary for other FOX News Media.
In late March 2020, when entire cities and states across the country began following California’s lead of shutting down due to the COVID-19 virus,Lahren moved from California to Nashville.
“I left California for Nashville before April 1, 2020,” Lahren said. “California had shut down and the COVID panic had begun. I tried to be a loud beacon of warning to Californians.”
Soon after her arrival, then Mayor John Cooper shut down the city of Nashville and vigorously enforced a mask mandate for which Lahren, often referred to as a controversial commentator, called him out.
“To me, I just couldn’t stomach it so I tried to out ‘John Chicken Coop,’ as I called him,” she said. “I also called out the governor for some of the things he did. That was my first initiative when I moved from L.A. to Nashville.”
Outkick was bought by Fox Corporation in 2021, the parent company of Fox News, and added non-sports content.Lahren was chosen to host the podcast Tomi Lahren is Fearless, which can be found on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and is listed with other podcasts. OutKick is based in Nashville and was founded by Clay Travis, a former FOX sports college football commentator and currently a host on the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton radio show that took over the Rush Limbaugh time slot.
Lahren is heard each Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. Central Time.
Born and raised on a ranch near Rapid City, South Dakota, located in the beautiful Black Hills, she learned early the meaning of hard work.
“My parents instilled a strong work ethic in me,” she said. “They both grew up on ranches and that’s a lifestyle where you start working pretty much when you start walking. It wasn’t always necessarily being a Republican but it’s being a conservative and an American and somebody who had to work hard to get what they had. It’s hard work to be in agriculture in an agricultural state. They don’t appreciate government overreach.”
Lahren’s two passions — talking and people — suited her well for the career she landed after graduating from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas (UNLV),where she majored in journalism media studies and political science.
“Tennessee and South Dakota are similar,” she said. “They have a lot of people who have strong convictions and strong beliefs and sometimes they’re a little bit quiet."
It was a desire to represent those people that propelled Lahren to become more vocal as a voice for those throughout the country who are forgotten and not heard. Lahren saw the same values she learned in South Dakota were here in Tennessee.
“That’s why Tennessee feels like home to me, even with the few big cities it feels like a tight knit community," she said.
Lahren takes seriously the responsibility of preserving the American ideal and values, so she carefully and extensively researches each topic and the people she presents and talks about on her programs and in her writings.
“I care about what I talk about and I care about the people that are behind what I talk about," she said. “I’m like a hammer — straight forward, direct and passionate about what I talk about."
Young people fall into the trap of thinking 30-second briefs on the Internet and social media are considered education. A young person herself, 25-year old Lahren attempts to reach her peers and provide them with more in-depth materials on events and issues using her “funny, snarky, sarcastic" tone that’s become her style.
“I think these things impact all of us but young people more than older generations," she said. “That’s one of the things that inspires me to keep doing what I do and to care about what I’m talking about and never fall into a rhythm of spitting out talking points. When you have passion behind what you’re talking about, I think that translates."
Discussions about border security, immigration, the Israeli war with Hamas, events happening on college campuses, debates, agriculture, Tennessee legislation and other trends are just a few recent topics she presented on her programs. They’re topics that affect people locally and around the nation.
As a digital podcast style format, OutKick allows Lahren and her guests the time needed to discuss their points and dialog about them.
“There’s something to be said about in-depth conversations and that’s something podcasting allows me to do," Lahren said. “You do get into the meat of the issue a little more and take time with the people you have on. Nothing I say or do is an act or for attention. I talk about things I'm passionate about, but I'm not always a hammer."
She continues to explore her new state and meet the people who reside here and she continues to appreciate what she’s discovered. A couple months ago Lahren moved from the 12 South area of Nashville to Brentwood to live a more quiet, peaceful life with her husband, J.P. (Jonathan Paul) Arencibia a former Major League Baseball catcher and first baseman who played with the Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays and is currently a coach for the Syracuse Mets.
“I love it here and we’re getting to know our neighbors," she said. “Everyone is friendly and kind."
Catch Tomi Lahren is Fearless each Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. and watch for her on various FOX News programs. She’s can be found almost everywhere FOX News can be found including websites, podcasts and cable and live streaming television.
Carole Robinson may be contacted at crobinson@williamsonherald.com.
