'What's a Uyghur?' GOP presidential candidate who sounded clueless when asked about Uyghurs says he is actually 'well aware' of the issue

When talk radio show host Hugh Hewitt asked Miami Mayor and Republican presidential primary candidate Francis Suarez whether he will discuss the Uyghurs during his campaign, the mayor seemed to be completely clueless about the issue.

"What's a Uyghur?" Suarez asked.

Hewitt moved on after telling the mayor that he needs to "get smart" on the issue.

Suarez brought the issue up again at the conclusion of the interview, telling Hewitt that he would look into the topic and asking the radio host if he had referred to a "weeble."

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez on his bid to be the 2024 GOP nomineeyoutu.be

"Mayor @FrancisSuarez was pretty good for a first conversation on air about national security --except for the huge blind spot on the Uyghurs. 'What's a Uyghur?' is not where I expect people running for president to say when asked about the ongoing genocide in China," Hewitt tweeted.

But following the apparent display of total ignorance on the topic, Suarez is now claiming that he is familiar with the issue, but had not recognized the way Hewitt pronounced the word.

"Of course, I am well aware of the suffering of the Uyghurs in China. They are being enslaved because of their faith. China has a deplorable record on human rights and all people of faith suffer there. I didn't recognize the pronunciation my friend Hugh Hewitt used. That's on me," Suarez tweeted.

Suarez likely has little chance of winning the GOP presidential nomination. Former President Donald Trump is currently polling way ahead of the rest of the primary pack, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a distant second place.

During the Sunshine State's 2018 gubernatorial contest, Suarez voted for DeSantis' Democratic opponent Andrew Gillum, according to the Miami Herald. The outlet also reported that Suarez did not back Trump in 2016 or 2020, but wrote in U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in 2016 and Vice President Mike Pence in 2020.

Suarez has also promoted climate alarmism.

"Climate change is not a distant threat for Miami; it's a daily presence in people's lives. The city has been fighting to stay above water for decades. It knows that its future as a vibrant international hub for business, tourism, arts and culture depends on making the city more resilient to the impact of global warming," Suarez and former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote in a 2019 opinion piece.

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