Tucker Carlson Goes After Heritage Foundation: ‘No Longer Represents the Interests of Conservatives’

Fox News’ Tucker Carlson tonight took shots at the Heritage Foundation, among other conservative groups, for working with big tech companies, because “big tech hates conservatives and works assiduously to harm them.”

Carlson touted a proposal introduced by Senator Josh Hawley back in June. Per an NBC News report at the time:

Hawley’s bill would change Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which provides immunity for big tech platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter from liability for content posted by its users.

Under his legislation, titled the Ending Support for Internet Censorship Act, companies would have to earn immunity by submitting to Federal Trade Commission audits that prove their algorithms and content-removal practices are “politically neutral.”

One of the reasons there hasn’t been action on this proposal, as well as calls to break up tech companies, Carlson said, is “that conservative nonprofits here in Washington, the ones that are supposed to be looking out for you, aren’t actually looking out for you.”

Carlson cited a report on Google and the Koch network saying Google has given money to groups like the American Conservative Union and the Heritage Foundation. “Big Tech companies silence conservatives. Conservatives’ nonprofits try to prevent the government from doing anything about it,” he said.

Regarding Heritage in particular — “Half the conservatives in this city seem to have worked there at one time or another, almost 30 years ago I did for example” — Carslon said, “To this day there are nice and well-meaning people at Heritage. But as an organization, Heritage no longer represents the interests of conservatives. At least on the question of tech.”

He cited a recent Heritage piece titled “Free Enterprise Is the Best Remedy for Online Bias Concerns” that criticized Hawley and said the following:

Even if systemic bias were conclusive, the fact is that these private companies have the right to moderate content according to standards of their own choosing. That does not mean that conservatives have no recourse. Indeed, conservatives have countered left-wing media privilege in the past without regulation. Deregulation, in fact, benefits the underdogs.

In the present circumstances, the better response to bias concerns is not government speech controls, but empowering consumers, investors, and competitors to create alternatives, punish misdeeds, and reward excellence.

In contrast, S. 1914, if enacted, would yield more harm than benefit, and would violate fundamental conservative principles.

“Heritage isn’t embarrassed. None of the so-called conservative nonprofits in Washington are embarrassed. They make deals with people who hate you. They secretly sell out your interests, then they beg you to tithe like it’s the medieval church,” Carlson said.

You can watch above, via Fox News.

UPDATE — 12/21: Heritage has responded in a statement to Carlson’s “false, outrageous, and unfounded accusations.” You can read part of the full statement below:

Carlson’s claims began with an attack on a recent Heritage report about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. He claimed the report’s author repeated lines verbatim from a trade association. This is false. In fact, the 13-page Heritage report contained 22 footnotes, all of which were properly quoted and attributed to sources. The report went through a thorough and lengthy process of vetting and review by Heritage scholars to ensure accuracy and agreement among all Heritage analysts involved in technology and social media policy.

The conclusions of Heritage’s report were based on the principles that guide all of our policy recommendations—principles Carlson seems curiously less interested in defending. Instead, he made an unfounded assertion against Heritage and outrageous smear of one of our scholars. It is disappointing that Carlson would deceive his viewers with such patently false information.

It should come as no surprise that Heritage supports empowering consumers rather than government. We are, and have always been, champions of the free market and critics of government intervention. That’s why we are forcefully pushing back on the few outspoken individuals who seem to prefer an expedient answer rather than a principled solution.