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Lionel (radio personality)

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Lionel
Lionel in 2018
Born
Michael William Lebron

(1958-08-26) August 26, 1958 (age 66)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
EducationUniversity of South Florida (BA)
Stetson University (JD)
Occupation(s)YouTube political and social commentary[1]
SpouseLynn Shaw[2]
Awards2015 New York Emmy Award for Writer: Commentary/Editorial
Websitelionelmedia.com

Michael William Lebron (born August 26, 1958), better known as Lionel, is an American syndicated radio, television and YouTube legal and media analyst. He is known as a leading promoter of the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory.[3][4]

Early life and education

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Lebron was born and raised in Tampa, Florida, where he attended Jesuit High School.[5] Lebron graduated from the University of South Florida and Stetson University College of Law. After graduating from law school, Lebron worked with the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office.[6]

Career

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Lebron hosted the CourtTV law show Snap Judgment in the late 1990s. He then began appearing on WABC radio in New York. He first appeared as a caller to WFLA in Tampa, Florida, drawing attention to himself by avoiding the given topic of discussion.[citation needed] He was eventually given his own time slot on WFLA before moving to New York City.

Beginning in May 2007, Lebron replaced The Majority Report with Sam Seder on Air America Radio with a daily three-hour talk show. Seder claimed that Lebron's unpopularity with Air America's listeners led to the loss of most of Seder's audience within a year of assuming the timeslot, as well as the loss of two-thirds of the live affiliates and live streaming.[7][better source needed]

Talkers Magazine included Lebron in its 2010 "Heaviest Hundred" list at number 54[8] and in its 2013 "Frontier Fifty" list at number 37.[9] In 2015, he won a New York Emmy Award for commentary and editorial writing.[10][non-primary source needed]

Lebron also appeared in an episode of House of Cards.[11]

He has appeared on the Russian RT network as a legal and political analyst.[12]

Current projects

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Since his show on Air America ended, Lebron's politics have gravitated to the right, which he would use to establish himself as a right-leaning pundit for Alex Jones' InfoWars network. He also uses his YouTube channel Lionel Nation to discuss the current zeitgeist in American politics.

References

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  1. ^ https://www.youtube.com/c/LionelNation/about%7Ctitle= About Page
  2. ^ "Catching Up With Lionel". Talkers Magazine. March 2014. Archived from the original on 2016-11-18. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  3. ^ Weigel, David (August 24, 2018). "Conspiracy theorist shares Oval Office photo with Trump". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  4. ^ Wise, Justin (2018-08-24). "Trump meets with promoter of 'QAnon' conspiracy theory in Oval Office". The Hill. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  5. ^ "Faith and Talk Radio: An Interview with Michael 'Lionel' Lebron". America Magazine. 2014-08-01. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  6. ^ "Radio Years.com". www.radioyears.com. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  7. ^ TYT Interviews (5 February 2010). "Sam Seder on TYT Network (Why Air America Fell, Obama & Much More!)". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ HEAVIEST HUNDRED: The 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America talkers.com
  9. ^ "Frontier Fifty 2013". 6 September 2011.
  10. ^ "Google" (PDF). www.nyemmys.org.
  11. ^ "LIONEL PODCAST: Lionel In "House of Cards," Mentulate References on the Campaign Trail and the Demise of Relevant Politics". 6 March 2016. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  12. ^ Feldscher, Kyle (2018-08-25). "QAnon-believing 'conspiracy analyst' meets Trump in the White House". CNN Politics. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
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