A regular MSNBC contributor if facing fire from liberals over allegedly anti-transgender comments about socialist Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former vice president Joe Biden.
Hugh Hewitt, a conservative commentator on MSNBC and CNN, was discussing the remarkable rise of Ocasio-Cortez Tuesday during the Hugh Hewitt show on Salem Radio Network when he made the eyebrow-raising remarks.
“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a wonderful person. Sparkling with youthful energy, unmoved by her inexperience, confident in her lack of knowledge, and completely charismatic,” he said.
The youngest Congresswoman in U.S. history reminds Hewitt a lot of another career politician who also waded into the swamp at an early age. Former vice president Joe Biden, who was just 30 years old when he was elected to represent Delaware in the U.S. Senate in 1972, is now contemplating a third run for president at the age of 76.
Hewitt aired recent clips of Ocasio-Cortez suggesting climate change will end the world in 12 years, and comparing efforts to address the supposed crisis to World War II. Hewitt likened Ocasio-Cortez’s confusing and nonsensical rhetoric on climate change and her proposed socialist policies to a demented game of Mad Libs, and pointed out the similarities with Biden’s long history of over-the-top politics.
“I’m reminded of an old game called Mad Libs. Do you remember Mad Libs? They were big in the 60s and 70s. Mad Libs. I think we could start an AOC Mad Libs game. Just basically start cutting up, ‘this is our World War II.’ This is our World War II? You’re going to have to have 60 million people dead in five years, six years. Sixty million people,” Hewitt said.
“You’re going to have to have the Iron Curtain come down –. I would just love to talk — oh, I would love to talk to her. Any — just a long extended conversation where the word salad doesn’t hold up. It wilts in the heat. Not hardball, just keep talking. She’s just wonderful. She’s — she’s — she’s my favorite person in America.”
Hewitt then unloaded a tongue-in-cheek zinger about Biden, which apparently offended transgender folks.
“Joe Biden has actually gone through the time machine and transgendered into Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,” he joked. “This was Joe Biden – she’s going to fill the Biden gap. The Biden gap concerned me. Someday Joe will leave the public stage and we will not have people who will say outlandish things. But now the Biden gap is filled.”
His word choice sent Twitter into a tizzy, and The Huffington Post, The Hill, Media Matters and other news sites quickly pounced.
Media Matters also posted a recording of Hewitt’s remarks online.
The Post explained “’transgendered’ is widely perceived as an offensive term within the LGBTQ community.”
Why is it that it’s always these old white privileged men using hateful rhetoric to try and score cheap political points? “@JoeBiden has transgendered into @AOC “ are you friggin kidding me #HughHewitt https://t.co/I3mapAXKng
— Kurt Bardella (@kurtbardella) January 23, 2019
“Why is it that it’s always these old white privileged men using hateful rhetoric to try to score cheap political points?” Kurt Bardella complained on Twitter.
Hugh Hewitt: “Joe Biden has actually gone through the time machine and transgendered into Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.”
Hi @MSNBC. You pay that vile piece of sh*t for disgustingly discriminatory opinions such as the one above. Does that represent you?
— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) January 23, 2019
“Hi @MSNBC, You pay that vile piece of sh*t for disgustingly discriminatory opinions such as the one above,” Ricky Davila wrote. “Does that represent you?”
Really @msnbc? He’s still a contributor? How much does it take before he isn’t anymore? Who does he have to piss off? MSNBC contributor Hugh Hewitt: Joe Biden has “transgendered into Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez” https://t.co/Gq7qL4e6ze
— DRT 🙄 (@drteeters) January 22, 2019
“Really @msnbc? He’s still a contributor? How much does it take before he isn’t anymore? Who does he have to piss off?” DRT posted.
The calls for Hewitt’s head were too numerous to count.
Why does @MSNBC have @hughhewitt on their network? This is disgusting behavior. It’s time for MSNBC to fire him.
Hugh Hewitt: Joe Biden Has ‘Transgendered Into’ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez https://t.co/cuIeIX7kww
— billypollina (@billypollina) January 23, 2019
“Why does @MSNBC have @hughhewitt on their network?” billypollina posted. “This is disgusting behavior. It’s time for MSNBC to fire him.”
Hewitt issued a half-hearted apology, though it was obviously not enough to repair the damage to the fragile sensibilities online.
Apologies. Bad word choice on a sensitive subject. https://t.co/xc2wmICeVK
— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) January 22, 2019
“Apologies,” Hewitt tweeted. “Bad word choice on a sensitive subject.”
And while the feigned indignation and calls for MSNBC to ban Hewitt raged on, several social justice warriors admitted they weren’t even sure what they were offended about.
I think I should be offended but mostly I’m just confused what the hell this even means. https://t.co/Fy1wsP2qb1
— Reuben Baron (@AndalusianDoge) January 23, 2019
“I think I should be offended but mostly I’m just confused what the hell this even means,” Reuben Baron wrote.
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