During an interview on his June 27 morning show, Hewitt wanted to know if Miami's own presidential hopeful would be talking on the campaign trail about the Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic group that has been detained en masse by the Chinese government.
"Will you be talking about the Uyghurs in your campaign?" Hewitt inquired.“I'll look at — what’d you call it, a ‘Weeble?’”
— The Recount (@therecount) June 27, 2023
— 2024 GOP presidential candidate Francis Suarez on Uyghurs pic.twitter.com/wAW8lGg0IK
"The what?" Suarez asked with a chuckle.
"The Uyghurs," Hewitt repeated, to which Suarez responded, "What's a Uyghur?"
"Okay, we'll come back to that," Hewitt said. "You gotta get smart on that."
Human-rights organizations and several countries — including the U.S. — have accused the Chinese government of committing rampant human-rights abuses against the Uyghurs in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang.
Hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs have been detained in internment camps without individual trials and forced to attend cultural re-education programs ostensibly aimed at integrating them into Chinese society, according to a 2021 independent tribunal led by Sir Geoffrey Nice, a British barrister and judge.
During the interview with Hewitt, Suarez pledged to the host that he'll read up on Uyghurs, saying, "You gave me homework, Hugh."
"I'll look at — what did you call it? A Weeble?" Suarez asked.
The conversation came after Suarez criticized U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent trip to China in which the Biden cabinet official met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The mayor criticized the Biden administration for "projecting weakness" in foreign relations and pledged to address the China-U.S. trade deficit if elected president.
Hewitt later tweeted that while Suarez was "pretty good for a first conversation on air about national security — except for the huge blind spot on the Uyghurs. 'What's a Uyghur?' is not where [sic] I expect people running for president to say when asked about the ongoing genocide in China."
The former Ronald Reagan administration official, who hosts the Hugh Hewitt Show on the Salem Radio Network, has a history of asking questions that press presidential candidates on their knowledge of foreign policy. His 2015 interview with Donald Trump during his first presidential campaign prodded Trump on his familiarity with Islamic extremist leaders, prompting Trump to claim Hewitt was asking him "gotcha" questions.
Suarez's office released a statement claiming the mayor had "momentary difficulty in pronouncing 'Uyghurs.'"
"As a leader committed to inclusivity, Mayor Suarez understands the importance of properly addressing global human rights issues. His concern for the Uyghur community remains unwavering, as he strongly condemns any form of discrimination or persecution," the statement says.
Suarez announced his presidential run on June 15, joining Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in what's shaping up to be a crowded field for the Republican presidential nomination. In recent interviews, Suarez has asserted that he'll be able to connect with younger voters and make inroads with Hispanics.
In order to secure a spot on the stage for the first Republican presidential debate in August, Suarez will have to register at least one percent in three polls — either national polls or early Republican-voting-state polls recognized by the Republican National Committee.
Chatting with Hewitt, the mayor didn't seem too worried about catching up on Chinese human-rights abuses and avoiding future gaffes.
"I'm a good learner. I'm a fast learner," Suarez said.
Note to hizzoner: Americans pronounce it wee-gr. The native pronunciation is similar, if a tad subtler.
