Topline
Miami Mayor and GOP presidential contender Francis Suarez took responsibility, but stopped short of apologizing, for failing to recognize the name of the Muslim minority group in western China, the Uyghurs, during an interview Tuesday—an embarrassing gaffe that raises questions about whether he is ready for the national stage.
Republican presidential candidate Miami Mayor Francis Suarez delivers remarks at the Ronald Reagan … [+]
Key Facts
Suarez, when asked by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, about the predominantly Muslim minority group in western China that has been subject to what the U.S. government has designated a genocide by the Chinese government, responded: “the what? . . . what’s a Uyghur?”
Returning to the question at the end of the interview, Suarez asked Hewitt “what did you call it, a Weeble?” Suarez said, referencing the popular 1970s children’s toy while laughing.
Hewitt criticized Suarez on air, telling him “you’ve got to get smart on that,” and later tweeted that the fumble represented a “huge blind spot” for Suarez.
Attempting damage control, Suarez said he did not recognize the pronunciation Hewitt used, tweeting: “Of course, I am well aware of the suffering of the Uyghurs in China . . . I didn’t recognize the pronunciation my friend Hugh Hewitt used.”
Hewitt pronounced the term “wee-gur,” consistent with the widely used English pronunciation.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on China for its treatment of Uyghurs, more than 1 million of whom have been arrested and placed in what the Chinese government has called “vocational education and training centers,” where Uyghurs say they’ve been tortured and raped, though the Chinese government has denied accusations of human rights violations.
Chief Critic
Responding to Suarez’s comments during a foreign policy speech on China Tuesday, GOP presidential contender and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley accused China of “genocide” and said “no one is saying anything because they’re too scared of China.” She later tweeted that “Communist China is the greatest threat to American security and prosperity, by far.”
Tangent
Growing tensions between the U.S. and China have become a key issue for 2024 presidential candidates. President Joe Biden called Chinese President Xi Jingping a “dictator” last week after Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing and expressed hope that relations between the two countries could improve. Suarez denounced the visit on Tuesday, telling Hewitt “it was disgraceful” and accusing Biden of “projecting weakness” to Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Key Background
Suarez, who is widely popular in Miami, became the third Florida-based candidate to enter the presidential race on June 15. He took a veiled shot at former President Donald Trump in his announcement video, where he accused “America’s so-called leaders” of confusing “being loud with actually leading.” Suarez suggested to Hewitt he could win back younger voters Trump lost to Biden and said he could “grow the party with Hispanics” as the first-ever Hispanic Republican president. He also called Trump’s two indictments “serious,” but noted that Trump’s rising poll numbers in the wake of the criminal charges represent “a distrust of not only the media, but of our justice system,” which he promised to “recreate and to re-instill” if he’s elected. Suarez hardly registers as a 2024 presidential candidate if polls are any indication, which find his support at just a fraction of a single percentage point.
Further Reading
GOP Sen. Rick Scott Weighs Presidential Run, Report Says: Here’s The Full 2024 Primary List (Forbes)
China Formally Chides U.S. Ambassador After Biden Calls Xi A ‘Dictator,’ Report Says (Forbes)
China Slams Biden For ‘Extremely Absurd’ Comments After Labeling Xi Jinping A Dictator (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/06/27/whats-a-uyghur-miami-mayor-suarez-now-insists-hes-familiar-with-chinas-persecution-of-muslim-minority-group-after-gaffe/