Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt stormed off Friday’s edition of Washington Post Live and resigned his columnist position shortly afterwards after liberal associate editor Jonathan Capehart claimed he didn’t “appreciate being lectured” after Hewitt called out fellow panelist Ruth Marcus’s fake news about Donald Trump. Hewitt gave Capehart his wish, “I won’t come back, Jonathan. I’m done. This is the most unfair election ad I have ever been a part of.”
Capehart began by asking Marcus, “Is it me or does it seem like this week Donald Trump is laying the groundwork for contesting the election by complaining that “cheating” was taking place in Pennsylvania by suing Bucks County for alleged irregularities, and this is on top of his continual assertion that if he loses, it's because of cheating?”
Marcus replied, “Uh, yeah, that's what he's been laying the groundwork for just not in the last week, but in the last umptyump months. No election can be fair unless Donald, in Donald Trump's mind, unless Donald Trump wins it, and I think we are going to see him both rev up his supporters to contest elections outside of courtrooms and go to every courtroom he can in America, where it's relevant to make whatever arguments he can, no matter how far-fetched. We saw—”
Hewitt then tried to interject, “Jonathan, I’ve got to speak up,” but Capehart told him to wait and “let her finish.”
Marcus then did just that, adding, “It may not work, it may not, that may not happen this time, and now I'll let you go, Hugh.”
Hewitt then sought to bring some badly needed context to the conversation, “Well, I've just got to say we're news people even though we’re at the opinion section. It's got to be reported. Bucks County was reversed by the court and instructed to open up extra days because they violated the law and told people to go home.”
He added, “So, that lawsuit was brought by the Republican National Committee, and it was successful. The Supreme Court ruled that Glenn Youngkin was successful. We are news people, even though we have opinions, and we have to report the whole story if we bring up part of the story. So, yes, he's upset about Bucks County, but he was right and he won in court. That's the story.”
You would think Republicans suing to extend early voting would make liberals like Capehart and Marcus happy, but instead, Capehart showed a stunning lack of professionalism, “Um, no, I'm just, I don't appreciate being lectured about reporting when, Hugh, you many times you come here saying lots of things that are—”
Hewitt then got out of his chair and left, “I won’t come back, Jonathan. I’m done. This is the most unfair election ad I have ever been a part of. You guys are working, that's fine. I'm done.”
Capehart tried to proceed as if he wasn't an indecent host, “So Ruth, you wrote a column this week ending with this line, and actually, I think this is perfect. We're going to put it on the screen. You wrote, ‘You want to know the stakes of this election, not only democracy but decency.’” Talk more about that, Ruth.”
Marcus tried to respond, “Okay, collecting myself,” before her camera feed froze, likely because someone pushed the wrong button in an attempt to get the image of Hewitt’s empty office off the screen.
Capehart scrambled, "Oh, Ruth froze. Ruth is frozen. So hang in there, everyone. We're going to see if we can try to get Ruth back to his very--we're going to get, we're going to get Ruth back in a moment."
Marcus was not back in a moment. After Capehart read some advertisements, the show ended.
Here is a transcript for the November 1 show:
Washington Post Live
11/1/2024
9:19 AM ET
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Is it me or does it seem like this week Donald Trump is laying the groundwork for contesting the election by complaining that “cheating” was taking place in Pennsylvania by suing Bucks County for alleged irregularities, and this is on top of his continual assertion that if he loses, it's because of cheating?
RUTH MARCUS: Uh, yeah, that's what he's been laying the groundwork for this just not in the last week, but in the last umptyump months. No election can be fair unless Donald, in Donald Trump's mind, unless Donald Trump wins it, and I think we are going to see him both rev up his supporters to contest elections outside of courtrooms and go to every courtroom he can in America, where it's relevant to make whatever arguments he can, no matter how far-fetched. We saw—
HUGH HEWIT: Jonathan, I’ve got to speak up.
MARCUS: -- last time, but it didn't work out.
CAPEHART: Let her finish, Hugh.
MARCUS: It may not work, it may not, that may not happen this time, and now I'll let you go, Hugh.
HEWITT: Well, I've just got to say we're news people even though we’re at the opinion section. It's got to be reported. Bucks County was reversed by the court and instructed to open up extra days because they violated the law and told people to go home.
So, that lawsuit was brought by the Republican National Committee, and it was successful. The Supreme Court ruled that Glenn Youngkin was successful. We are news people, even though we have opinions, and we have to report the whole story if we bring up part of the story. So, yes, he's upset about Bucks County, but he was right and he won in court. That's the story.
MARCUS: I'll let you keep going, Jonathan.
CAPEHART: Um, no, I'm just, I don't appreciate being lectured about reporting when, Hugh, you many times you come here saying lots of things that are—
HEWITT: I won’t come back, Jonathan. I’m done. This is the most unfair election ad I have ever been a part of. You guys are working, that's fine. I'm done.
CAPEHART: So Ruth, you wrote a column this week ending with this line, and actually, I think this is perfect. We're going to put it on the screen. You wrote, “You want to know the stakes of this election, not only democracy but decency.”
Talk more about that, Ruth.
MARCUS: Okay, collecting myself
CAPEHART: Oh, Ruth froze. Ruth is frozen. So hang in there, everyone. We're going to see if we can try to get Ruth back to this very—we're going to get, we're going to get Ruth back in a moment.
