Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, who was ousted from his role as a CNN commentator after saying the Founding Fathers “birthed a nation from nothing,” has been hired by the conservative media outlet Newsmax as a senior political analyst.
When viewers of the conservative news network tuned in to catch the results of the Virginia governor’s election, they saw the former Pennsylvania Republican senator breaking down the vote with his fellow commentators.
“Rick Santorum is one of the most articulate and candid political analysts in media today, and we are honored to have him leading Newsmax’s team of commentators Tuesday and beyond,” said Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy.
“I am looking forward to bringing my common-sense, blue-collar conservative voice to Newsmax and their viewers as we turn toward the critical 2022 midterm elections and beyond,” said Santorum.
The senator’s return to television represents a reversal of CNN’s attempt to cancel him over his remarks at an event on April 23, when he credited the formation of the United States to its founders.
America’s citizens “came here, mostly from Europe, and they set up a country that was based on Judeo-Christian principles,” he said. “Yes, we have Native Americans, but candidly there isn’t much Native American culture in American culture.”
Some of his critics accused him of minimizing the suffering of American Indian tribes, even comparing him to a Holocaust denier.
“The way we treated Native Americans was horrific. It goes against every bone and everything I’ve ever fought for,” Santorum said on his final network appearance on May 3.
He also clarified that he “misspoke,” because he did not make it clear that “I was talking about the founding, and the principles embodied in the founding,” such as “the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence” had little influence from American Indian culture. After the senator’s May 3 appearance on “Cuomo Prime Time,” CNN’s Don Lemon said, “Europeans did not found this country.”
Santorum’s refusal to apologize or backtrack on the Western origins of the U.S. Constitution cost him his job.
“After that appearance, it was pretty clear we couldn’t use him again,” a CNN producer told HuffPost. His firing left CNN without virtually any Republican commentator who hadn’t endorsed Joe Biden.
Later in the month, Santorum hit back at his old network’s embrace of cancel culture. “[A]ppreciate the opportunity that they gave me, but it shows that the Left is intolerant,” he told “Hannity” in May. “And the intolerance of the Left is the issue in the cancel culture that is flowing from it.”
Santorum’s acceptance at Newsmax was seemingly predicted by one of his former CNN colleagues, W. Kamau Bell, the host of “United Shades of America.” Bell mockingly tweeted: “See you on @newsmax! Just kidding, @RickSantorum. I don’t watch Newsmax.”
See you on @newsmax!*
*Just kidding, @RickSantorum. I don’t watch Newsmax.😁https://t.co/AHpbZkwe2y
— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) May 22, 2021
“I am excited to join the growing team at Newsmax,” said Santorum on Tuesday night. “In just a short time, Newsmax has exponentially grown its viewership, establishing itself as a leading, unfiltered news source for hard working Americans who are looking for reporting and commentary that speaks to their traditional American values.”
Santorum spent 16 years in Washington, D.C.: two terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania (1991-1995), followed by two terms in the U.S. Senate (1995-2007). Santorum succeeded as a Republican in an overwhelmingly Democratic House district before defeating incumbent Democratic Senator Harris Wofford in 1994. He lost the seat in 2006 to Senator Bob Casey Jr., who campaigned as a “pro-life Democrat.” Santorum won 11 primaries in the 2012 Republican presidential race and ran again for the nomination in 2016.
In addition to a strong pro-life, pro-family voting record, Santorum became known as a “blue collar conservative” with a penchant for supporting union causes. He also distinguished himself as an advocate for an interventionist foreign policy.
The announcement of Santorum’s new position as a Newsmax commentator came just four days after the senator’s daughter, Elizabeth, adopted his first grandchild.
Related:
- CNN Fires Rick Santorum After He Claimed Founding Fathers ‘Birthed A Nation From Nothing’
- OPINION: CNN Doesn’t Want To Hear Anyone Who Sounds Like You
- Rick Santorum Speaks Out About CNN Firing, Discusses Cancel Culture Hitting Network
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Update: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that Rick Santorum’s daughter, Elizabeth, adopted the senator’s grandchild rather than “gave birth” to the child. We regret the error.