During a radio interview on "The Hugh Hewitt Show," Republican presidential candidate and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez appeared unfamiliar with the Uyghur population, a Turkic ethnic group facing alleged human rights abuses in China. When asked about addressing the Uyghurs in his campaign, Suarez responded, "The what?" This prompted Hewitt to emphasize the importance of understanding the Uyghur situation, describing it as a "huge blind spot."

Suarez later mispronounced "Uyghurs" as "Weebles," further highlighting his unfamiliarity with the group. Hewitt stressed the need for Suarez to become informed on the topic, urging him to "talk about it every day." Suarez pledged to research the issue, claiming to be a "fast learner."

Hewitt later tweeted his concern over Suarez's lack of knowledge on the subject, stating that such a gap is unexpected in a presidential candidate. The Uyghurs, native to Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, have been subject to alleged human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party, a concern highlighted in a 2022 United Nations report citing "patterns of torture" and potential "crimes against humanity."

Recent developments include the creation of an AI tool by tech firm Ultra, designed to identify products potentially made with Uyghur forced labor entering the US market via platforms like Temu.