Conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt announced that he planned to back Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Virginia Democratic primary because "he's authentic."

"Because Virginia allows early voting and because I don’t know where NBC or Salem will have me on March 3, I’m voting this week, and because it’s Virginia, I get to vote in the Democratic primary," Hewitt explained Sunday on Meet the Press. "I’m voting for Bernie Sanders. And I think a lot of people will because he’s authentic."

The conservative host clarified that he was not planning to vote for the independent Vermont senator in the 2020 general election and will instead support President Trump.

"I want a clear choice between the authentic, traditional socialist and all the people who just pretend to be," Hewitt said about the rest of the Democratic field.

During the 2016 election, Hewitt was a vocal critic of Trump, arguing that the Republican National Committee should change its rules to prevent him from winning the nomination. He quickly reversed his position, however, and eventually supported the president.

The March 3 Democratic primary in Virginia allows registered voters to pick between competitors in either primary without switching their party registration. Sanders is currently polling in second nationally behind former Vice President Joe Biden.

