Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star, criticized the reporting by so-called “local” Nashville television stations about Monday’s “Stop the Invasion: Defend Tennessee” event hosted by U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) to rally support for immigration enforcement efforts in the Volunteer State.
On Monday, Ogles and various Tennessee lawmakers and victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens spoke in support of the efforts by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to remove illegal immigrants from the Volunteer State during an event held at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville.
While the lawmakers were speaking, a group of protesters gathered outside the building and pounded on the windows of the Tennessee State Capitol in an attempt to interrupt the event.
On Tuesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Leahy highlighted how the “local” Nashville news stations, which he pointed out are controlled by a small group of large media corporations, all gave disproportionate airtime to protesters and critics of Ogles.
“What’s interesting about this is how awful the reporting from the local television stations here is, and it’s not just in Nashville, it’s everywhere in the United States. Local television is, as I’ve said, synoptic, left wing, globalist propaganda. You look at the companies that own these outlets and none of them are local…You’ve basically got four companies that own all the local television stations that are affiliated with major networks,” Leahy explained.
Leahy particularly highlighted Fox 17’s coverage of a “purple-haired, 60-year-old lady” who was opposed to ICE actions, pointing out how prominent figures at the press conference – including Ogles, State Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), State Representative Lee Reeves (R-Franklin), and a Brentwood mother whose home was allegedly burglarized by Chilean nationals – received minimal attention or coverage.
“You’ve got this story where Andy Ogles was there, a mom from Brentwood whose house was burgled by a bunch of Chilean nationals when her 14-year-old daughter was in the house, you’ve got Senate Majority leader Jack Johnson, you’ve got Representative Lee Reeves, you have a city councilman. They’re all speaking, but what do they do? They give 10 seconds to Andy Ogles and then this leftist, purple haired, 60-year-old lady gets the majority of this broadcast,” Leahy said.
Leahy criticized the Fox 17 journalist who interviewed the elderly female protester who claimed she was married to an immigrant “working on his citizenship,” pointing out how the reporter failed to ask obvious journalistic questions – for example, whether the immigrant spouse mentioned by a protester is in the country legally – which, he said, fed into the narrative that the protesters were “the good ones” compared to Ogles and others in support of Monday’s event.
“What is the next question that any journalist would ask? Okay, purple-haired, 60-year-old lady, is your husband an illegal immigrant? Yes or no? How did they enter, what’s their immigration status? They didn’t ask that question, right? What are they trying to do here? They are trying to promote the idea that the good ones are the ones outside. It’s just beyond pathetic,” Leahy said.
He also pointed out how the media outlets are portraying immigration enforcement as a two-sided, right-or-wrong issue by attempting to paint illegal aliens as sympathetic figures instead of recognizing the immigration laws that are on the books.
“There’s no other side of the story…There’s the law, which should be followed. That is the point,” Leahy said.
Tune in now to The Michael Patrick Leahy Show – your AMERICA FIRST news talk!
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– Read more at @TheTNStarhttps://t.co/zurRQ6c2Ke— MichaelPatrick Leahy (@michaelpleahy) May 27, 2025
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
