When Tomi Lahren first opened up to HER Magazine about her rapid rise to fame during the 2016 presidential election, she was bold, confident and, of course, controversial.
Now, just six months later, the conservative political commentator seems to be dealing with the consequences of one of those controversial remarks. In an interview with Nightline’s Byron Pitts on Wednesday, Lahren is still unapologetic in her convictions. But her tone noticeably softened as she told Pitts she is “deeply hurt” by the way her employer, The Blaze, pulled her show from their lineup.
“When your outlet is taken away from you, when your catharsis is stripped from you and you don’t understand why and you’re so disappointed and you’re so blindsided by it, it hurts.”
Lahren told ABC she got a phone call “saying that the show was not on. It had been suspended for a week, perhaps longer,” following a March 17th episode of The View on which Lahren told the audience she would be a hypocrite to say she is for limited government but believes the government should decide what women do with their bodies.
Sitting among The View’s hosts, Lahren called herself pro-choice despite having criticized those who support access to medical care that performs abortions.
Lahren has since filed a lawsuit against Glenn Beck and The Blaze, suing for alleged wrongful termination. She also wants access to her Facebook page back, which she says The Blaze controls. In response, The Blaze issued this statement:
“It is puzzling that an employee who remains under contract (and is still being paid) has sued us for being fired, especially when we continue to comply fully with the terms of our agreement with her.”
Flaring up a firestorm of reaction across social media is not unusual for the millennial who specializes in the “viral monologue.” But since her appearance on The View, some of the conservative voices that typically stood behind her weren’t there cheering her on.
The Blaze came out with a response to Lahren’s theory that supporting limited government negates the ability to support the pro-life movement.
“Who are our posterity if not our unborn children, and children, and grandchildren? Our descendants and future generations, that’s who the constitution is ‘securing the blessings of liberty’ for,” Beck said on his radio show.
Beck wouldn’t discuss Lahren’s employment with the media company on his show. But, he went on to respond to her recent opinion, “I would disagree that you are a hypocrite if you want limited government, and yet you want the government to protect the life of the unborn.”
When Lahren sat down with our founder, Nineveh Madsen, in November she had a strong message for women facing criticism for their opinions.
“You need to have a strong sense of who you are, so that you can shake those things off,” she said.
But in the Nightline interview, she told Pitts she felt “lost” without her ability to work.
Lahren has said she “will not lay down and play dead over” the sudden absence of her show. One thing we know to be true: that sounds a lot like the opinionated woman we sat down with just before Election Day.
So, is Lahren’s fight to regain her platform falling on deaf ears? Has she gained any supporters in her effort to, once again, present an unpopular opinion? And does her current situation come with the territory of being a online star, famous for rocking the boat?
What do you think will come of Lahren’s legal battle? Has your opinion changed of the commentator? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below. Meanwhile, we’ll keep you updated on the developments.
Want to access our cover story with Tomi? Download the November 2016 issue in iTunes or Google Play, and watch our video series with her here and our original interview with Lahren here
