In a recent discussion, radio host Hugh Hewitt expressed harsh criticism towards the White House press corps.
Hugh Hewitt, during his radio talk, suggested that the coverage provided by the White House correspondents concerning President Joe Biden's health was insufficient and recommended that all except Fox News’ Peter Doocy be barred from the press room under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, the Daily Caller reported.
Hewitt’s remarks were made public amid claims that President Biden’s aides have protected him from exposure due to a reported decline in his health.
An article from the Wall Street Journal confirmed that aides limited interactions between the president and even cabinet members.
The conservative radio host voiced these concerns in a conversation with writer Bethany Mandel. Mandel also criticized the media for their late acknowledgment of Biden's possible cognitive challenges.
In support of his argument for a restricted media presence at the White House, Hewitt singled out Peter Doocy from Fox News as the only journalist he deems worthy in the press room. He accused major media outlets like ABC, CBS, and CNN, and newspapers including the Washington Post and the New York Times, of partisan reporting and neglect regarding Democratic leaders.
Assessing the media landscape, Hewitt claimed that these legacy outlets decided not to fully report on Democratic inconsistencies deliberately. His critique extended to the journalistic integrity and role of these established news organizations in political coverage.
Here is what Hewitt had to say on the matter:
With the exception of [Fox News White House correspondent] Peter Doocy, I would ban everyone from the White House press room who’s been in there for the past four years, because they are obviously of no use to the country. They didn’t tell us the number one thing, which is he’s not competent. Why in the world would Trump let them in? It’s not really failing in the eyes of legacy media, they’re not supposed to tell us when Democrats are incompetent, they’re supposed to go along with it, because that’s the legacy… I mean ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, Washington Post, New York Times, those five brands, are broken beyond broken, in my view, after this exposé.
Reagan Reese, a Daily Caller White House Correspondent, has subtly but steadily echoed Hewitt’s narrative. She pursued this narrative in various articles and confronted Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House Press Secretary, with questions on the issue.
Bethany Mandel’s commentary extended to satirize Chris Cillizza, a former CNN commentator, for his belated realization about President Biden’s situation, implying that the mainstream media is now scrambling to address what some conservative observers had noted much earlier.
Occurrences suggesting Biden's cognitive slippage included him reportedly speaking with deceased individuals and experiencing multiple physical stumbles. These instances fueled discussions and concerns over his ability to govern effectively.
Hugh Hewitt's pointed critique offered a profound insight into what he perceives as a broad failure among established media to adequately relay critical information about political leaders’ competency.
Moreover, his proposal for a nearly exclusive White House press pool underlines the polarized views on media responsibility and press access in political reporting. As a result, we still need to see how this criticism will influence future White House communications and journalistic access.
