Conservative radio commentator Hugh Hewitt’s new MSNBC show debuted Saturday morning, June 24, with a half hour long interview with Cia Director Mike Pompeo, with aa discussion of national security issues ranging from ISIS to North Korea. Meanwhile, the left-wing rage over Hewitt’s invasion of the MSNBC safe space continued unabated.
‘Sean Hannity with glasses’
Media Matters, the left-leaning website that has carried on a crusade against what it sees as conservative bias in the media, offered a screed against Hewitt, calling him “Sean Hannity with glasses.” The jibe is wide of the mark for a number of reasons.
Hannity provides a blue collar style mocking of the intellectual pretensions of the left, though at times one gets the impression that the Fox News personality finds the idea of high culture just a little too effete for words.
Hewitt, who holds a law degree and worked in the Reagan administration, brings an intellectual heft to the right vs. left argument. He gives the impression of having read weighty books on policy and history.
Media Matters’ main critique is that Hewitt, initially an opponent of Donald Trump, learned to stop worrying and love the orange haired businessman and reality talk show host. As rude, crude, and socially unacceptable as Trump is, he has enacted conservative policies and has appointed a solid constitutionalist to the Supreme Court.
However, in the view of the left anti-Trumpers, it was at the cost of Hewitt’s dignity and soul.
How did the interview with Pompeo go?
The interview covered the basics of current foreign policy issues, ranging from Russian interference in the 2016 elections to North Korea to ISIS. Naturally Pompeo, as CIA chief, was not going to be too open about current intelligence, but one gathers that the new team has a handle on what’s going on and understands how to deal with the new, chaotic world that is the legacy of the Obama years.
The one thing that came out of the interview that many may find surprising was the news that President Trump is very attentive and engaged during national security briefings. Trump has been rumored to be bored with these sessions. However, contrary to such rumors, he asks pointed, intelligent questions that give the impression that he understands what is being discussed.
How did Hewitt do?
Hewitt.s style is a little more low-key than most conservative talkers. He is not snarky like Rush Limbaugh or a shouter like Hannity. The method showed during the Pompeo interview, which brought to mind the late William F. Buckley “Firing Line” conversations for their calmness and information. Hewitt is a welcome addition to the cable news universe and one hopes, in the fullness of time, he gets a better time slot.
