Jack Hunter (radio host)

Jack Hunter
Hunter in February 2011.
Born	Jack William Hunter, Jr. (1974-06-01) June 1, 1974 (age 42) Hanahan, South Carolina, United States
Occupation	Radio host, writer, blogger

Jack William Hunter, Jr. (born June 1, 1974) is an American radio host, political commentator and Politics Editor for Rare.us, a Washington, D.C.-based news website. He began his career in the late 1990s on alternative rock station WAVF 96.1 FM using the moniker "Southern Avenger", an anonymous pro wrestler/superhero-style character. In 2007, Hunter began appearing every Tuesday and Friday morning on WTMA News-Talk 1250 AM, and contributed to a weekly column to the Charleston City Paper. Hunter was also an aide to U.S. Senator Rand Paul, whom Hunter helped write the book The Tea Party Goes to Washington. He is perhaps best known for his decades-old, racially-charged writings whose reemergence caused a major media controversy for his boss, Senator Paul.

Hunter's reputation as a political operative was discredited following the Washington Free Beacon's revelation that he had repeatedly espoused racist views on a local South Carolina radio station under the Southern Avenger moniker. His racist comments included expressions of contempt for Hispanic immigrants, and a call for NAACP director Kweisi Mfume, whom he referred to as "NAACP Grand Wizard," to be tied to a tree and whipped. Following these revelations, Hunter resigned from Rand Paul's staff in what the Senator called a "mutual decision." In a 2013 article for Politico, Hunter repudiated his former views, writing "I'm not a racist; I just played one on the radio."

Hunter is known for often providing commentary from libertarian and conservative viewpoints, with a particular focus on Ron Paul’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns as well as Senator Rand Paul’s influence within the Republican Party. Hunter has said he sees the liberal internationalism that is found in the Democratic Party and the neoconservatism prominent in the Republican Party to be ultimately indistinguishable from one another, which has led to criticism from both the mainstream left and the mainstream right.