Tara Palmeri
@tarapalmeri·160K subscribers·903 videos
He Could Barely Speak as a Child — Now He’s a National News Anchor
Posted
October 26, 2025
Views
2,909
Likes
215
Comments
70
Engagement
9.80%
October 26, 2025
2,909
215
70
9.80%
Every word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
42:17Now PlayingWhat does it take for a child diagnosed with severe autism to defy the odds and become a prime-time news anchor?
In this raw episode of The Tara Palmeri Show, NewsNation's Leland Vittert shares the heart-wrenching story from his New York Times bestselling book Born Lucky. Diagnosed young with profound challenges—behavioral issues, sensory overload, and a 70-point IQ spread—Leland reveals how his parents rejected accommodations and victimhood, instead coaching him to adapt to the world through relentless dedication, role-playing social skills, and earning self-esteem the hard way. From brutal bullying and school expulsions to turning adversity into a journalism superpower, Leland challenges the politicized autism debate, calling for real science on rising diagnoses amid sacred cows like vaccines and misinformation. It's a gut-punch reminder of parental agency, hope over despair, and why kids aren't defined by labels.
How has the rise in autism diagnoses changed your view on parenting and science?
Born Lucky:
For more of her reporting, subscribe to her weekly newsletter, "The Red Letter."
Latest from the Red Letter:
To support her mission of independent journalism, consider donating to her GoFundMe account
Tara Palmeri is one of the most feared and fearless reporters covering power and politics. She has 15 years of experience covering national politics and foreign affairs. She was formerly a White House Correspondent for ABC News where she covered the first Trump administration. She was the chief National Correspondent for POLITICO during the Biden administration. She has been a political analyst for CNBC, CBS and CNN. She started her career as a columnist for the Washington Examiner and then went on to report for the New York Post. She was a foreign correspondent for POLITICO Europe, where she covered international affairs, including Brexit. She hosted the Ringer's political podcast "Somebody's Gotta Win" and wrote a column for Puck. Tara also hosted two acclaimed podcasts on Jeffrey Epstein, "Broken: Jeffrey Epstein" and "Power: The Maxwells." Tara currently hosts the Tara Palmeri Show.
Listen to the 'Tara Palmeri Show':
Apple
iHeartRadio
Amazon Music
Spotify
New videos from Tara are released 5PM EST on weekdays and Sunday
Follow Tara:
For inquiries, email: TaraPalmeriInfo@gmail.com
#BornLucky #LelandVittert #AutismAwareness #NYTimesBestseller #NewsNation #AutismStory #AutismDebate #TaraPalmeri #TaraPalmeriShow
He Could Barely Speak as a Child — Now He’s a National News Anchor
Chapters:
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.
