Here's why I'm against the TikTok ban

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

Editor's note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

I hosted a debate earlier this week about the TikTok bill with Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). I respect their mutual commitment to the Constitution. Usually, they fall on the same side on key issues in Congress but not this time. Not when it comes to the TikTok bill. Roy was one of the sponsors of the bill, and Massie is one of the bill’s main opponents. I haven't seen an issue divide conservatives so sharply in a long time. Before this week’s debate, I didn't know where I stood on the issue, either.

I do now. I’m against the TikTok ban. I’ll explain.

Both Roy and Massie are concerned about national security. Both know what we’re facing with China and how great a threat the Chinese Communist Party represents. Most importantly, both love the Constitution and are ardent defenders of freedom. That’s why I had them debate each other because of my deep respect for them. It was so refreshing to see people talk about something they disagree on, but nobody became disagreeable.

We went over a lot of the bill line by line, and there are some disturbing things in there. For instance, if you look at section two of the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” you will find the bill doesn't just apply to phone apps. Individual websites could also be seized. That should send chills up your spine.

Supporters of the bill point out that this power applies only to apps and websites belonging to "foreign adversaries." That’s more than a little vague. When you say that a website or an app is controlled by a foreign adversary, who has the power to decide who is and is not a foreign adversary?

When Tucker Carlson went to Russia in February, how many people said he was just a pawn for Vladimir Putin? When Trump visited Kim Jong Un, how many people said he was being controlled by North Korea and Russia? We have been accused of being an asset for Israel, and many people in government right now are treating Israel like a foreign adversary. If the president decides that Tucker Carlson is being controlled by a foreign adversary, does that mean he can just go away? What about Trump? What about you and me?

Many of the assurances about the TikTok bill sound like what proponents said about the PATRIOT Act.

The bill says an app or website can be seized “if determined by the president to be a present threat to the national security of the United States.” What does it mean to be a “national security threat” to the United States? In just the last year, we've heard that “election deniers” are a threat to our government along with “vaccine deniers,” “Christian nationalists,” and “climate deniers.” Would we fall into that category?

We aren’t the ones who are hostile to the government. We’re trying to stop the ruling class from overthrowing the government.

We believe in the Constitution, and our ruling class members don't. So, if anyone is the foreign adversary, they are.

Another troubling provision in the bill is a “covered company” whose primary purpose is to "allow users to post reviews, product reviews, business reviews, or travel information and reviews." Is Yelp in the middle of a sale to communist China? It sounds like somebody pulled his Washington strings to make sure he wasn't affected by the bill, while you and I are left hanging out to dry.

Those are just a few of the concerning points we covered in this week’s debate, and they’re why I’m against the ban.

I love Chip Roy, and I trust him. He’s a constitutionalist. He’s a freedom-loving Texan who you don't want to mess with. But I don't trust a government that is seeking more control over its people while making its bed with giant corporate tech and China. I don’t trust a government that doesn't seem to care about its people over oligarchs. I can’t give any more power to the rich, the corporations, the lawyers, and I won’t give any more power to a president who doesn't defend the Constitution at all costs.

So, that’s where I’ve come down on the question. You might disagree. But whatever you do, please carefully consider the costs of the TikTok bill in its current state. Many of the assurances about the bill sound like what proponents said about the PATRIOT Act. Remember how they tried to appease our fears by telling us how it would never be used against us? I said at the time that all they have to do to weaponize the PATRIOT Act against us is to change the definition of extremist. In the TikTok ban, all they would need to do is to change the definition of “foreign adversary.” They can absolutely turn this on you.

Click HERE to get the research that went into the TikTok ban debate.



What happened to Europe?

Once upon a time, America and Europe fought side-by-side to overthrow authoritarian regimes and resist communist dictators. Now European leaders are adopting the policies Europeans once fought against—and calling AMERICA out for "abandoning liberal democracy." But as Europeans get arrested for their speech, their elections rigged, and their religion squashed, Glenn felt compelled to notify their leaders of the truth: America didn't abandon democracy, Europe abandoned its people.

With this in mind, over the weekend Glenn authored an open letter to the leaders of Europe, calling them to return to the core values of Western democracy that we fought so hard for and to listen to the voices of their citizens who cry out for change. Glenn encouraged his audience to read his letter and spread the word:

Glenn took to X to get as many eyes on his letter as possible. He also filmed a short video in his home stressing the importance of Europe's awakening. America cannot afford to prop up NATO anymore and Europe needs to be ready to hold its weight. Big changes are coming and for the sake of the Western values we have fought so long to preserve, we want Europe by our side, ready to face the future. We must change our ways before we tear ourselves apart.

Trump's education secretary has BIG plans for the DoE

SAUL LOEB / Contributor | Getty Images

Our education system is broken, and the Department of Education is a massive failure. But that all ends now.

It's no secret that America's school system is seriously lacking in many ways. President Trump pointed out that despite our massive spending per pupil, we are behind most of the developed world in most metrics. Our scores continue to plummet while our student debt and spending skyrocket—it's utterly unacceptable performance and America's students deserve better.

That's where Linda McMahon, Trump's pick for Secretary of Education comes in.

The former WWE CEO and leader of the U.S. Small Business Administration during Trump's first term, McMahon laid out her harsh criticisms of the DoE during a confirmation hearing on the 13th and revealed her promising plans to turn things around. McMahon described the public education system as "in decline" and promised that under her authority, the DoE would be reoriented towards student success.

Here are the top three changes to the Department of Education:

1. Dismantling the Department of Education

SAUL LOEB / Contributor | Getty Images

From the beginning Trump's orders for McMahon were clear: oversee the end of the Department of Education.

During her Thursday hearing, McMahon clarified what dismantling the DoE would entail. As Democrats have repeatedly pointed out, Trump does not have the authority to destroy the DoE without Congressional consent, as an act of Congress created it. That is why Trump and McMahon's plan is to start by shutting down programs that can be stopped by executive action, then approach Congress with a plan to dismantle the Department for good. The executive orders have already begun to take effect, and once McMahon is confirmed she will author a plan for Congress to close the Department.

McMahon also promised that the end of the Department of Education does not mean an end to all the programs currently undertaken by the doomed department. Programs that are deemed beneficial will be transferred (along with their funding) to departments that are more suited to the task. The example given by McMahon was IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) funding, which instead of being cut would be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services.

2. School Choice

Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc / Contributor | Getty Images

In a huge win for parents across the country, McMahon pledged her support for School Choice. School Choice is the idea of allowing parents to enroll their student in any school of their choice, including religious schools and private schools. It would also mean that part or all of the funding that would have gone to a relocated child would follow them and continue to pay for their education.

This gives parents the ability to remove their children from failing schools and seek a better education for them elsewhere. A growing body of evidence suggests that the way we run our schools isn't working, and it is time to try something new. School Choice opens up education to the free market and will allow for competition.

Our children deserve better than what we can currently offer them.

3. COVID and DEI

SAVO PRELEVIC / Contributor | Getty Images

Trump's government-wide crackdown on DEI will ironically serve to increase inclusion in many American schools.

McMahon said as much during her Senate hearing: “It was put in place ostensibly for more diversity, for equity and inclusion. And I think what we’re seeing is, it is having an opposite effect. We are getting back to more segregating of our schools instead of having more inclusion in our schools.” She also spoke in support of Title IX, and the push to remove biological males from women's and girl's sports. In the same vein, McMahon pledged to push back against the rise of antisemitism on college campuses, which many Universities have failed to adequately address.

On Friday, February 14th, President Trump signed an executive order barring any school or university with COVID-19 vaccine mandates from receiving federal money. This only applies to the COVID-19 vaccine, and other vaccine mandates are still standing.

POLL: What DARK government secrets will Trump uncover?

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Will the dark secrets of the Deep State finally see the light of day? Or will they slip back into darkness, as they have many times before?

The Trump administration is gearing up to fulfill one of Trump's most anticipated campaign promises: to make the contents of the JFK files, along with other Deep State secrets, available to the public. Kash Patel, who has promised to publicize the highly anticipated files, is expected to be confirmed next week as Trump's director of the FBI. Moreover, the House Oversight Committee created a new task force headed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna called "Task Force on Declassification of Federal Secrets," which is tasked with investigating and declassifying information on the JFK, RFK, and MLK assassinations, UFOs, the Epstein list, COVID's origins, and 9/11. This all comes after the FBI found 2,400 "new" records relating to the assassination of President Kennedy following Trump's executive order to release the files.

Glenn discussed this topic with the cast of the Patrick Bet David podcast. Glenn expressed his confidence in Trump's radical transparency—on the condition that Kash Patel is confirmed. The cast was not as optimistic, expressing some doubt about whether Trump will actually unveil all that he has promised. But what do you think? What files are likely to see the light of day? And what files will continue to linger in the dark? Let us know in the poll below

Do you think the JFK, RFK, and MLK files will be unveiled?

Do you think the 9/11 files will be unveiled?

Do you think the COVID files will be unveiled?

Do you think the UFO files will be unveiled?

Do you think the Epstein list will be unveiled?

Transgender opera in Colombia? 10 SHOCKING ways USAID spent your tax dollars.

MANDEL NGAN / Contributor | Getty Images

The government has been doing what with our tax money!?

Under the determined eye of Elon Musk, DOGE has rooted out the corruption that permeates USAID, and it turns out that it's worse than we thought. Glenn recently read a list of atrocious causes that were funded by USAID, and the list was as long as it was shocking.

Since the January consumer index report was published today, one thing is clear: eggs are bearing the brunt of inflation. That's why we illustrated the extent of USAID's wasteful spending of YOUR taxpayer dollars by comparing it to the price of eggs. How many eggs could the American people have bought with their tax dollars that were given to a "transgender opera" in Colombia or indoctrinating Sri Lankans with woke gender ideology? The truth will shock you:

1. A “transgender opera” in Colombia

USAID spent $47,000 on a transgender opera in Colombia. That's over 135,000 eggs.

2. Sex changes and "LGBT activism" in Guatemala

$2 million was spent funding sex changes along with whatever "LGBT activism" means. That equates to over 5.7 million eggs!

3. Teaching Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid binary-gendered language

USAID forked over $7.9 million to combat the "gender binary" in Sri Lankan journalism. That could have bought nearly 23 million eggs.

4. Tourism in Egypt

$6 million (or just over 17 million eggs) was spent to fund tourism in Egypt. If only someone had thought to build some impressive landmarks...

5. A new "Sesame Street" show in Iraq

USAID spent $20 million to create a new Sesame Street show in Iraq. That's just short of 58 million eggs...

6. Helping the BBC value the diversity of Libyan society

$2.1 million was sent to the BBC (the British Broadcasting Corporation) to help them value the diversity of Libyan society (whatever that means). That could have bought over 6 million eggs.

7. Meals for a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda

$10 million worth of USAID-funded meals went to an Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group. That comes up to be just shy of 29 million eggs.

8. Promoting inclusion in Vietnam 

A combined $19.3 million was sent to two separate inclusion groups in Vietnam inclusion groups in Vietnam (why where they separated? Not very inclusive of them). That's over 55 million eggs.

9. Promoting DEI in Serbia's workplaces

USAID sent $1.5 million (4.3 million eggs) to “advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.”

10. Funding EcoHealth Alliance, tied to the Wuhan Institute of Virology's "bat research"

EcoHealth Alliance, one of the key NGOs that funded the Wuhan lab's bat virus research, received $5 million from USAID, which is equivalent to 14.5 million eggs.

The bottom line...

So, how much damage was done?

In total, approximately $73.8 million was wasted on the items on this list. That comes out to be 213 million eggs. Keep in mind that these are just the items on this list, there are many, many more that DOGE has uncovered and will uncover in the coming days. Case in point: that's a lot of eggs.