Hugh Hewitt quits The Washington Post after storming off newspaper’s live show

Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt resigned from his contributing columnist role at The Washington Post on Friday after storming off the newspaper’s live show over a disagreement with his colleagues.

Hewitt’s resignation came after an appearance on “First Look,” the Post’s live show hosted by Jonathan Capehart, alongside Ruth Marcus, an associate editor and columnist at the Post, during a discussion over former President Donald Trump legal efforts in battleground states.

“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?” Capehart asked Marcus and Hewitt.

“No election can be fair in Donald Trump’s mind unless Donald Trump wins it,” Marcus said before Hewitt interjected.

“I’ve just got to say we are newspeople even though we’re with 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,” Hewitt said. “So, that lawsuit was by the Republican National Committee, and it was successful.”

Hewitt was referencing a recent successful bid by the Trump campaign and RNC to extend mail-in voting in the Philadelphia suburb. On Wednesday morning, the campaign filed a lawsuit claiming the county had illegally turned away “many” voters before Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline to apply in person. A Pennsylvania judge sided with the trio on the same day.

“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,” Hewitt added. “So yes, he’s upset about Bucks County, but he was right, and he won in court. That’s the story.”

Capehart replied: “I don’t appreciate being lectured about reporting when, Hugh, many times you come here saying lots of things that aren’t based in fact.”

Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, participates in a panel discussion during the Milken Institute Global Conference on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.

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“I will not come back, Jonathan, how’s that? I’m done,” Hewitt fired back as he stood up from his chair and removed his earpiece. “This is the most unfair election ad I have ever been a part of.”

“You guys are working, that’s fine, I’m done,” Hewitt said before walking off screen.

After storming off the show, Hewitt confirmed to Fox News that he had parted ways with The Post.

“I have in fact quit the Post but I was only writing a column for them every six weeks or so,” Hewitt told Fox.

A spokesperson for the Post did not directly comment on Hewitt’s resignation but said, “As the newsroom’s live journalism platform, Washington Post Live is known for its dynamic conversations and thought-provoking perspectives on top issues of the day, such as this morning’s “First Look” program.”

Hewitt, who joined the Post in 2017 and hosts a nationally-syndicated radio show for Salem Media, has been one of the few conservative voices for the Post’s otherwise left-leaning Opinion desk. His last opinion piece, one of seven he has written in 2024, was a column calling for Trump’s MAGA movement to “evolve” under a second Trump administration.

Hewitt’s departure comes after a tumultuous week at the Post, where three members of the newspaper’s editorial board resigned in protest over billionaire Post owner Jeff Bezos’ decision not to endorse a candidate in the presidential race. In the wake of the decision, more than 250,000 readers canceled their subscriptions, the newspaper reported.