He Could Barely Speak — Now He’s a National News Anchor
How NewsNation host Leland Vittert Overcame Autism and Found His Voice
Welcome back to The Red Letter.
Leland Vittert isn’t the kind of guest you expect to hear tell a story about autism. It’s not because he doesn’t have one, but because he’s made a career out of commanding a live audience. The NewsNation anchor and former Fox News correspondent built his reputation on sharp questions and relentless curiosity. But in his new memoir Born Lucky, he reveals something few ever knew: as a child, he was diagnosed with such severe autism that he couldn’t speak and had trouble making friends. His family feared that he would never be able to live independently. What followed wasn’t a story of accommodation but of transformation thanks to his father’s relentless refusal to let his son be defined by a diagnosis.
When I first started reading Born Lucky, I’ll admit, I cried. (Although, I am a softy.) But not because it’s tragic, though it is at times gut-wrenching especially when Vittert writes about bullying, but because it’s about something we don’t talk enough about: the power to reject victimhood. Leland’s father sold his business to spend full-time training him in the most human skills, like how to conduct a conversation and create connection. It’s hard to imagine now, that a man who works in broadcast television touching the lives of millions, was once a boy who couldn’t stand to be touched.
Our conversation goes beyond Leland’s story of resilience. It touches the political fault line around autism itself — the fear, misinformation, and scientific uncertainty that fuel endless debates. And I hope for you, it lands somewhere deeper: on hope, agency, and the uncomfortable truth that the world won’t always adapt to us. I have family members who have already read the book and are sharing our interview. It’s certainly raw, unfiltered, and necessary, as this condition seems to affect every single family.
Please let me know what you think of our conversation in the comments.
When my son, Justin, was first diagnosed with autism at the age of five he did not speak and they told us he probably would not speak. A year later not only did he speak perfect English but he started to write stories (mostly Sci Fi and Fantasy) which won and win awards in contests he enters them into, now as an adult he is a high school graduate and he went trough the full program along with the other children. He is also a loving uncle with two nephews and third one on the way.
My grandson is autistic. But he is a very good artist, he graduated high school - in regular classes. He can carry on conversations about political current events.
He is really into cars. I send him shots of nice and old cars I see on TV. He can tell me the make, year and models of 99% of them. Even old cars of days gone by. He’s really delightful company. I can’t wait to go to lunch with him again!