On Saturday night, July 28, Chelsea Handler will face off in a political discussion with a counterpart nearly half her age, Tomi Lahren at Politicon, an annual convention in California. Both women have claims to fame -- Handler because of her various talkshows, and Lahren because of her viral videos on politics, but Lahren is much more of a newcomer. So one might easily question: Who, exactly, is Tomi Lahren?
The answer is pretty simple. Lahren is most known for being a political commentator, particularly because of her former role as host of Tomi, a nightly show on The Blaze.
At The Blaze, the conservative news network created by former Fox News personality Glenn Beck, Lahren's most publicized moments came after a few rants of hers went viral. One of the more memorable rants featured Lahren criticizing Beyonce's performance at the 2016 Super Bowl and accusing the singer of "perpetuating the great battle of the races."
Over time, the 24-year-old became known as a provocative conservative voice who pushed extreme narratives (her assertion that Black Lives Matter is "the new KKK" is one example).
In December, she gained more notoriety when Lahren was invited to Comedy Central's The Daily Show to defend her positions. The appearance, like Lahren herself, was polarizing.
On one hand, there was the idea that Lahren got embarrassed by the show's host, Trevor Noah. On the other hand, there was concern that a big platform was given to a commentator who has shown no hesitation in spewing offensive talking points.
In any event, Lahren's own platform would soon be taken away. In March, she was fired by The Blaze shortly after an appearance on ABC daytime show The View. During the appearance, Lahren explained that, despite being a conservative, she was pro-choice and supported women having the right to abortion.
Two months later, Lahren accepted a role with the Great American Alliance, a political advocacy group dedicated to promoting President Donald Trump's agenda. One month after that, she appeared in an ad skewering the FBI's investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump's campaign.
Lahren still has yet to land a new television role, but, for better or worse, she's a sure bet to deliver a camera-worthy performance when she speaks with Handler.
