S8 Ep338: WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST'S OPPOSITION TO FDR Colleague David Pietrusza. Media tycoon William Randolph Hearst, who controls a vast network of newspapers and radio stations, turns against Roosevelt as the New Deal moves left. Hearst's reputation suffers afte

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John Batchelor

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🗓️ 19 January 2026

⏱️ 10 minutes

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Summary

WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST'S OPPOSITION TO FDR Colleague David Pietrusza. Media tycoon William Randolph Hearst, who controls a vast network of newspapers and radio stations, turns against Roosevelt as the New Deal moves left. Hearst's reputation suffers after a controversial 1934 meeting with Hitler, which accelerates his decline in popularity. By 1936, Roosevelt views Hearst and the wealthy "economic royalists" as political targets. In a conversation with an intermediary, Roosevelt jokes about throwing millionaires to the wolves, further inflaming Hearst. Consequently, the publisher commits his media empire to unseating the President, seeking a Republican candidate to support. NUMBER 5
1936 BRITISH ARMY AT THE JAFFA GATE FOR THE TURMOIL IN PALESTINE

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0:43.9	This is CBS Eye on the World.
0:45.7	Here's John Bachelor.
0:56.7	Roosevelt Sweeps Nation, the new book from David Petrucia, FDR's 1936 landslide, and the triumph of the liberal ideal. From the point of view of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, there are figures on his left, there are figures on his right, there are
1:03.1	figures who represent the Communist Party, there are figures who represent outright celebration
1:08.6	of the dictators in Europe at this time, Mussolini and Hitler. But there is
1:14.3	one figure that represents all of the above or none of the above depending on the day of the week.
1:19.6	William Randolph Hearst, born 1863. He is 72 years old, 73 years old at this point, and yet he can pick up the phone and reach anybody in America, including the President of the United States.
1:37.4	David, it is a complication to summarize Hearst.
1:41.6	With Roosevelt in particular, he was for him before he was against him, before he was
1:46.6	for him, before he was against him. Let's keep ourselves right now to 32 to 36. What was
1:53.5	Hurst's opinion of Roosevelt in the campaign of 32 facing Herbert Hoover? Didn't like him, didn't like Hoover, didn't like Al Smith, didn't
2:04.0	like anyone except John Nance Gardner. And the Roosevelt has a problem in 1932. And that has a bunch
2:12.6	problems, but the two-thirds rule. So he can get to the convention and have, oh, the majority of the delegates, but he can't get
2:21.3	the nomination until that logjam is broken, and he gets two-thirds of the delegates.
2:26.6	But Hearst, who had supported Garner, is controlling California and Texas delegations.
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