The Washington Examiner’s Sean Higgins pens a fascinating Q&A with Matt Whitlock, Sen. Orrin Hatch’s press flack.
There are a number of interesting tidbits about the California native who joined Hatch’s press shop via BYU and a mission in Japan.
How did he get into politics?
As a Senate intern. I was looking for a fun summertime job in 2011 while at BYU, and I got one in Sen. Mike Lee’s office. The senator gave me an opportunity to write some speeches. I got to write one about the 100th anniversary of the 4-H Club. Then, they asked me to write some more. It was an exciting thing for an intern.
How his work in a PR firm prepared him for Capitol Hill:
More than anything, it showed me how interesting that world of crisis management is. It was fascinating to see how people solve these problems through communication and other tools. My experience at Brunswick was all with corporate clients, mostly tech and finance. Because I was at the lower level, I got to work with a lot of different clients.
How his work has changed his view of Sen. Hatch:
You can be successful in politics without being a true believer, but it is so much easier if you are one. I am a true believer in Senator Hatch. The downside is that sometimes I take things personally and that makes the job stressful, but, again, it is easier because I really believe in what our boss is trying to do. [Laughs] I drank the Kool-Aid.
