Fox News contributor and host of The Hugh Hewitt Show, Hugh Hewitt, appeared on ‘Sunday Night in America’ to discuss the political aftermath of America’s longest government shutdown and the renewed debate over the legislative filibuster. Hewitt strongly defended the filibuster, calling it a necessary defense for the minority in the U.S. constitutional system.
Hewitt opened the discussion by sharply criticizing the Democrats’ handling of the shutdown, stating they “snatched defeat from the jaws of victory” following their wins in recent down-ballot elections. He characterized the strategy as “ill-advised and poorly executed,” and a move from which “no one can win.”
The conservative commentator singled out Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, suggesting Schumer “panicked by the evident approach of AOC’s primary challenge” and threw a “long ball” that was “picked off by Common Sense.” Hewitt concluded that the entire episode was a “nightmare for Democrats.”
Hewitt Defends the Filibuster
The conversation pivoted to the growing debate over the legislative filibuster, a non-constitutional Senate rule that currently requires 60 votes to advance most legislation. Hewitt declared himself a “big proponent of the filibuster,” arguing that the American system is an “anti-majoritarian constitution.”
He asserted that the Senate, with its 60-vote threshold, has served for 150 years as the “bullwark” against rapid political swings to either the left or the right.
“That 60 vote threshold obliges either that the party in power have 60 votes in the Senate… or that they get some consensus reached on some issues, which is usually good for the country politically,” Hewitt explained.
Warning on Rule Change
While acknowledging that presidents, including President Trump, are often frustrated by the rule, Hewitt issued a stern warning against eliminating it. He cautioned that if Democrats were to gain a “filibuster proofed Senate,” they would likely “expand the Supreme Court and ruin the rule of law” and seek to make D.C. and Puerto Rico states. He advised Republicans not to be the party that has “fingerprints on breaking the filibuster,” urging lawmakers of all stripes to review history and consider what detrimental laws would have passed without the rule’s protection.
Hewitt did note that he personally dislikes the use of “blue slips” in the judicial confirmation process, believing it “hurts the rule of law.”
Schumer’s Survival
Regarding Senator Schumer’s future after the shutdown, Hewitt speculated that the Minority Leader is likely to “survive” the immediate fallout for one “selfish reason” from other Democrats: “Nobody wants that job.”
However, Hewitt did not rule out a future retirement, saying he “would not be surprised if he announces his retirement early in 2027 to clear the way” for a potential challenge.
READ: Fox News Legal Analyst Backs Trump’s Billion Dollar ‘Defamatory’ Lawsuit Against BBC
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