'Dumbest legislation': Newsmax's Carl Higbie tears into House Republicans for backing TikTok ban bill
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Carl Higbie, a host on Newsmax, passionately criticized House Republicans during his show on March 13 for their support of a bill targeting the popular app TikTok. He described the legislation as "the dumbest" he had encountered yet.
Expressing his concerns on his show, 'Carl Higbie Frontline', Higbie lamented that the move to ban TikTok mirrored the authoritarian tactics of China, suggesting that the US government, particularly Congress, was adopting similar measures.
Carl Higbie unpacks TikTok ban and its broader implications
Higbie admitted feeling "super nervous about the precedent" set by the bill, highlighting his unease about its broader implications.
He said, "I’ll be honest, at first I thought, hey, maybe this might be a good idea to cut off China’s influence, but then I got to thinking about it."
"The language in this bill, at least what I’ve read, is super broad and will absolutely, absolutely 100% be used to shut down media that whoever’s in charge doesn’t agree with. This is a Trojan Horse," he continued.
He also claimed, "Look, I’m no fan of communist China. They are raping the globe of natural resources at like five times the carbon footprint of everyone else, and they’re using slaves to do it. We should definitely be doing everything in our power to break their back."
"But think about what Congress just did! They just banned an entire social media platform. This will be challenged by the end of the week, if it even gets to the Senate. TikTok is just a symptom though of the larger problem," he added. "I’m less concerned about China than I am about an entire American generation that cares more about their own vanity and access to stupid dance videos than they do about American superiority and security and patriotism."
"Why are we not willingly boycotting this app?" Higbie asked further.
"I’m not even on TikTok. There is some weird Carl Higbie account, but it’s not me, it’s just some other guy who posts pictures of me. I think TikTok is stupid, but millions of Americans don’t," he then clarified.
"In fact, over a million Americans make a substantial amount of income from TikTok, and Congress just took the first step to taking that stuff away," he added.
Criticism mounts over TSA policies and TikTok ban
Higbie expressed frustration over enduring stringent TSA checks, saying, "I mean look, 19 terrorists, they fly planes into buildings, and now I gotta have TSA feel me up 23 years later every time I get on an airplane."
He also criticized House Republicans for their support of a controversial bill in an election year, sarcastically applauding their efforts.
“Let’s just ban an app that kids dance on,” he ranted, continuing, “Definitely they’ll pin that one on Republicans in an election year. I mean, how’s that gonna work out for the youth vote?”
Higbie proceeded to mockingly applaud, remarking, "Great job, guys. This is the dumbest legislation I’ve seen yet".
On March 13, fifteen Republicans cast their votes against the bill, a shift from their previous stance, following former President Donald Trump's public opposition to a TikTok ban, despite his earlier endorsement of such actions.
Steve Bannon, former White House Chief Strategist, hinted that Trump's reversal was motivated by a desire to appease Republican donor Jeff Yass, who holds a significant stake in TikTok's Chinese parent company.
Higbie's TikTok ban critique sparks social media fervor
Following the TikTok ban and Higbie's remarks on Newsmax, numerous individuals voiced their opinions on social media platforms.
One viewer wrote, "Higbie for Senator!!" echoing the righteousness in the host's statements. "Thank you for being the voice of common sense", praised another viewer.
Someone else said, "House making a big mistake." "One of your best messages yet keep them coming. Great Video," read one comment. "I’m glad you are sharing this unpopular perspective," added another comment.
"Amen, sir. Preach it!!" another viewer wrote.
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