Michael Savage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Savage
|
|
|---|---|
Savage at the White House in 2018
|
|
| Born |
Michael Alan Weiner
March 31, 1942 |
| Alma mater | Queens College (BS) University of Hawaii at Manoa (MS, MA) University of California, Berkeley (PhD) |
| Occupation | Political and social commentator, author and former radio talk show host |
| Political party | Independent |
| Movement | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) |
Carol Ely
(m. 1964; div. 1967)Janet Roll
(m. 1967) |
| Children | 2, including Russell Weiner |
Michael Alan Weiner (born March 31, 1942), known as Michael Savage, is an American author, political speaker, and former radio host. He is famous for hosting The Savage Nation, a popular radio show. This show was heard by millions of listeners across the United States.
Michael Savage has several advanced degrees. He studied medical botany and medical anthropology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He also earned a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in nutritional ethnomedicine.
As Michael Weiner, he wrote books about health, like nutrition and herbal medicine. As Michael Savage, he wrote many political books. Several of these books became The New York Times bestsellers.
Savage describes his political ideas with three main words: borders, language, and culture. He sees his views as a type of American nationalism. He believes that liberal and progressive ideas are changing American culture. His radio show often talked about politics. But he also discussed topics like medicine, music, history, and sports.
In 2009, Michael Savage was not allowed to enter the United Kingdom.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Michael Savage was born Michael Alan Weiner in the Bronx, New York. He was one of three children. His father was a Jewish immigrant from Russia. His mother was from Montreal, Canada.
He has described his childhood as challenging. His younger brother, Jerome, was born with disabilities. Jerome could not hear or speak and passed away in 1969. His father, who owned an antiques shop, died in 1970. His mother passed away in 2003.
After finishing Jamaica High School in 1958, Savage went to Queens College. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1963. After college, he taught high school in New York City for several years. He married Carol Ely in 1964, but they later divorced. In 1967, he married his current wife, Janet.
Savage continued his studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He earned a master's degree in botany in 1970. He then earned another master's degree in anthropology in 1972. In 1978, he received his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. His PhD was in nutritional ethnomedicine. His final paper was about traditional medicine in Fiji.
How His Political Views Changed
In the 1970s, Michael Savage met writers in North Beach, San Francisco. He became friends with famous poets like Allen Ginsberg. Savage even wrote letters to Ginsberg. He also knew poet Neeli Cherkovski, who said Savage wanted to be a stand-up comedian.
By 1980, Savage's private conversations showed he had conservative political views. He had strong arguments with his liberal friends. When asked about his change in views, Savage said, "I was once a child; I am now a man."
Several events helped shape his conservative ideas. His first job after college was as a social worker. He saw things that made him question welfare spending. Another important moment was when he wrote health books in the 1980s. He suggested that closing certain places might help with the emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic. He felt this idea faced "political opposition."
In 1994, a book he wrote called Immigrants and Epidemics was rejected. Publishers found it too controversial. In 1996, Savage applied to be the Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism. He believed he was discriminated against for being conservative. He later dropped the lawsuit.
Career as a Commentator
Radio Show Success
After his book was rejected in 1994, Savage decided to try a new career. He made a demo tape of a mock radio talk show. He sent it to 250 radio stations. On March 21, 1994, Savage started his radio career on KGO in San Francisco. He began as a fill-in host and then a weekend host. His show quickly became popular locally.
Later in 1994, KGO's parent company bought station KSFO. They changed it to a conservative talk format. On January 2, 1995, Savage started hosting The Savage Nation on KSFO. By 2000, he was the most popular host in San Francisco during his time slot.
In 1999, Talk Radio Network began sharing The Savage Nation with stations across the country. By September 21, 2000, it became a fully national show.
By mid-2006, Savage had 8–10 million listeners each week. This made his show one of the most listened-to broadcasts in the U.S. He described his listeners as "literate callers with intelligence, wit, and energy." He said his show combined "a hard edge with humor and education."
By 2009, The Savage Nation reached 8 to 10 million listeners on 400 stations. It was the second most popular radio talk show in the country. In 2012, Savage's show left the air for a short time after a legal issue. But he soon signed a deal with Cumulus Media Networks. His show returned on October 23, 2012.
In January 2015, Savage renewed his contract with Westwood One. In 2019, he also started a podcast version of his show. On March 24, 2019, he celebrated 25 years of his radio show. The Savage Nation stopped airing on January 1, 2021.
TV Appearances
Savage had a short political talk show on MSNBC. It ran from March 8, 2003, to July 7, 2003. He was hired by MSNBC's president. After four months, Savage was let go.
Savage is also a frequent guest on Newsmax television. He has appeared on shows like "Stinchfield" and "The Count."
Podcast
In 2019, Savage launched his podcast. The Savage Nation Podcast released new episodes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Michael Savage's Views
Michael Savage calls himself an "independent-minded individualist." He says he "fits no stereotype." He has stated that Barry Goldwater influenced him.
Savage often criticizes big government. He also criticizes liberal ideas and actions. He believes the mainstream news media has a liberal bias. He thinks a nation is defined by its borders, language, and culture.
Wildlife Conservation
Savage has long supported wildlife conservation. He often points out that "conservative" and "conservation" come from the same root word: "to conserve." He believes conservatives should lead efforts to protect the environment and wildlife.
In 2017, he spoke out against a decision to allow trophy hunting. He said, "Dominion over animals doesn't mean destroying or terrorizing them." He also met with President Donald Trump to discuss wildlife protection. In 2019, he urged the White House to reverse approval of certain devices used against wild animals.
Immigration Views
Savage opposes immigration. He believes it can affect American nationalism. He has also warned that migrants might carry diseases.
European Union Views
Savage is against the European Union. He has called it "Hitler's dream of a united Europe." He compared Britain's vote to leave the EU (Brexit) to the Second World War.
Republican Presidential Candidates
In 2003, Savage said he voted for George W. Bush in 2000, though he was hesitant. He strongly supported Donald Trump when Trump announced his candidacy in 2015. Trump has said he is a listener and fan of Savage's show.
Savage has sometimes disagreed with some of Trump's actions. These include certain appointments and policies. However, he still supported Trump for president in the 2020 United States presidential election.
COVID-19 and Vaccines
In January 2020, Savage called for stopping flights from China due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In April 2020, The New York Times noted that Savage was one of the first conservative media figures to take the epidemic seriously. With his PhD in epidemiology, he discussed how the virus spread and effective treatments.
Savage has stated he would not take a coronavirus vaccine. He believes it might be "ineffective and dangerous." He has a history of opposing the flu vaccine. He argues that health authorities have to guess which flu strains to include in the vaccine. If they guess wrong, the vaccine might not work well.
However, Savage supports vaccines like the polio vaccine. He believes these are effective because they target viruses that do not change much over time. He admires scientists like Jonas Salk, who developed the polio vaccine and chose not to patent it.
Savage has also expressed views on wearing masks. He initially opposed them for outdoor settings. More recently, he has accepted wearing masks in indoor public places.
Activism
Legal Defense Support
Michael Savage has often donated money to help with the legal defense of U.S. Marines. These Marines were accused of certain actions in Haditha, Iraq. Savage has been in contact with their attorneys. He has also criticized how they were treated. He has donated over $10,000 to the U.S. Marines Charity Defense Fund.
Awards and Recognition
On November 17, 2016, Michael Savage was honored. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Savage called this event "The capstone of my career."
In 2020, Donald Trump nominated Savage to join the Board of Directors of The Presidio Trust. Savage sometimes had disagreements with other board members. In May 2021, he was asked to resign from his position by the Biden administration.
Personal Life
Michael Savage and his second wife, Janet, have two children. Their daughter, Rebecca Lin Weiner Yops, was born in 1967. Their son, Russell Weiner, was born in 1970. Russell is the founder of the company that makes the Rockstar energy drink.
In 1974, Savage and his family moved to Fairfax, California. Savage has homes in Larkspur and Tiburon in Marin County, California. He also has residences in Beverly Hills, California, and West Palm Beach, Florida.
Savage has stated that he believes in God. He has said he attends religious services only once or twice a year. In his 2012 book, he wrote, "Do I believe in God? Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't." In a 2024 interview, Savage said he has been "very affiliated with the Chabad people" for 40 years.
In December 2019, Savage had a heart attack. He recovered and returned to his radio show. He has had many pet dogs throughout his life. His beloved toy poodle, Teddy, passed away in late 2021.
Books Written by Michael Savage
Michael Savage has written 44 books in total. Twenty were written under his real name, Michael Weiner. Twenty-four were written under his professional name, Michael Savage. As Michael Savage, he has had two #1 New York Times Best Sellers. Three other books also made The New York Times Best Seller list.
His earlier books, written as Michael A. Weiner, Ph.D., focus on his expertise in nutritional ethnomedicine. He has also written about tree planting, beer-tasting, and nutritional cooking.
His more recent books, written as Michael Savage, are about politics. He has also written holiday family stories and thrillers.
In 1991, Savage self-published The Death of the White Male. This book argued against affirmative action. Savage called affirmative action "reverse discrimination." This book helped him start the Paul Revere Society.
In January 2003, Savage published The Savage Nation: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Borders, Language and Culture. This was his first major book as Michael Savage. It criticized "liberal media bias" and other liberal ideas.
In January 2004, he published The Enemy Within: Saving America from the Liberal Assault on Our Schools, Faith, and Military. His next book, Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder, came out in April 2005.
In April 2006, Savage released The Political Zoo. This book used satire and cartoons. It showed different public figures, mostly liberal politicians and celebrities, as animals in a "Political Zoo." Savage was portrayed as the zookeeper.
In October 2010, Savage released Trickle Up Poverty: Stopping Obama's Attack on Our Borders, Economy, and Security. In this book, Savage argued that "Americans are boiling mad" about how the government was handling the economy.
In November 2010, Savage signed a deal to write two thrillers. The first, Abuse of Power, was released on September 13, 2011. The novel is a fictional story based on his experience of being banned from Britain. It is set in San Francisco, London, and Tel Aviv.
In 2014, Savage released Stop the Coming Civil War: My Savage Truth. In this book, he wrote about challenges facing the country.
In 2015, Savage released Government Zero: No Borders, No Language, No Culture. He wrote that the country had lost its founding principles. He also offered solutions to rebuild the nation.
In 2016, Savage's book Scorched Earth: Restoring The Country After Obama was published. This book offered ideas for how Donald Trump could improve the country if he won the election.
In March 2017, Savage released Trump's War: His Battle For America. He said this would be his last political book. It became a number one bestseller on The New York Times list.
In November 2017, Savage released a non-political book called God, Faith, and Reason. This book explored his search for spiritual truth.
In October 2018, Savage published Stop Mass Hysteria: America's Insanity from the Salem Witch Trials to the Trump Witch Hunt. In this book, he discussed what he saw as "loud flashpoints" in American history.
In June 2019, Savage published a new book of stories and personal experiences called A Savage Life.
Images for kids
-
Savage at Moffett Federal Airfield in 2019 before flying on Air Force One with President Donald Trump
