Chaos erupted on a Washington Post live show Friday morning as conservative radio host and columnist Hugh Hewitt confronted host Jonathan Capehart and guest Ruth Marcus over their comments on a recent Pennsylvania court decision related to early voting.

The conversation took place on the Washington Post’s First Look, where Capehart, Marcus, and Hewitt were discussing issues surrounding the 2024 presidential election.

The segment heated up when Capehart brought up former President Donald Trump’s recent lawsuit in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Capehart claimed that Trump was “laying the groundwork for contesting the election” by “suing Bucks County for alleged irregularities.”

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump points to the crowd during a campaign rally on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

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The discussion referenced a Wednesday court decision in Bucks County, where Trump’s team had successfully petitioned for an extension of early voting after Republican voters reported being turned away by election workers.

Capehart suggested the lawsuit was part of a broader strategy by Trump to challenge election results in Pennsylvania, describing Trump’s claims as “cheating” while using air quotes.

Ruth Marcus, Deputy Editorial Page Editor of The Washington Post, agreed, calling the move an effort to “rev up his supporters” to contest election results.

Both expressed concern that Trump was allegedly “laying the groundwork” for questioning the election’s legitimacy.

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Hewitt, however, pushed back against their framing of the lawsuit, challenging their interpretation as biased and inaccurate. “We’re news people, even though it’s the opinion section. It’s got to be reported. Bucks County was reversed by the court and instructed to open up extra days because they violated the law and told people to go home,” Hewitt stated, correcting Capehart’s and Marcus’s characterization.

He clarified that the Republican National Committee’s lawsuit was, in fact, upheld by the court, requiring Bucks County to extend early voting days to comply with Pennsylvania’s voting laws.

Hewitt continued, “We are news people, even though we have opinions, and we have to report the whole story if we bring up part of the story. So yes, he’s upset about Bucks County, but he was right and he won in court. That’s the story.”

Capehart, visibly irritated by Hewitt’s challenge, responded sharply. “No, I just don’t appreciate being lectured about reporting when, Hugh, many times you come here saying lots of things that aren’t basic fact!” Capehart said.

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At that point, Hewitt decided to exit the segment, describing the discussion as “the most unfair election ad I have ever been a part of.” He added, “I will not come back, Jonathan. How’s that? I’m done.”

He then left the live show, leaving Capehart and Marcus momentarily stunned.

Shortly after Hewitt’s departure, the broadcast encountered technical difficulties, with Marcus’s video feed freezing as Capehart attempted to continue the discussion. “Oh, Ruth froze. Ruth is frozen. Hang in there, everyone,” Capehart said, attempting to manage the disruption.

After a brief return, Marcus’s feed cut out again, prompting Capehart to acknowledge the technical issues.

“OK, we lost her again,” Capehart said, closing the segment. “You just saw Hugh Hewitt leave the conversation, which is lamentable, unfortunate. But, it is what it is.”

Hewitt’s exit and the subsequent technical difficulties added an unexpected turn to the show, drawing attention to the polarized discussion over election integrity in Pennsylvania.

The episode highlighted tensions as election season intensifies, with both parties closely monitoring election policies and legal proceedings that could impact the outcome.