Hurt began his newspaper career as a boy in Chatham, Virginia, writing and publishing the "Gilmer Gazette," named for the street on which he lived.

His first full-time job after graduating in 1995 was at The Detroit News where he became a replacement worker during a bitter strike.

[6] Hurt was The New York Post's D.C. Bureau Chief and news columnist covering the White House for five years.

From 2003 to 2007, Hurt covered the U.S. Congress as a reporter for The Washington Times[6] before leaving to join The New York Post.

[4] National Review editor Rich Lowry described Hurt as "an early adopter of Donald Trump populism.