Concern over “CICOs” had Ben Shapiro taking a stand over an infamous influencer’s recent podcast appearance alongside “big fan” Alina Habba.
Conservatives have long complained, and rightfully so, about Republicans in name only (RINOs) hamstringing efforts to push back on the radical agenda of the left. Now, with President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House with control of the House and Senate, issues with conservatives in clicks only have cropped up as Andrew Tate appeared on “The Benny Show.”
Monday on his own program, Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro addressed the alleged sex trafficker’s, which Tate has denied, appearance on Benny Johnson’s program that included Trump counselor designee Habba likening the influencer to her boss.
“What’s happening here is that people are dishonestly conflating ‘interviewing’ Tate with cheering on Tate — applauding him, talking about how brave and wonderful he is while he rips off thousands of people with his scam Hustlers University and preaches the virtue of treating women in a way you would never allow anyone to treat your wife or daughter,” wrote Shapiro in a companion piece titled, “The Right Should DUMP Andrew Tate.”
Anyone who wants to talk with Andrew Tate should talk with him. Obviously. It’s a free country! The REAL PROBLEM is so many cheerleading and applauding a self-professed pornographer who opposes the most basic standards of virtue.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 13, 2025
“No one is saying you can’t have Tate on your show. It’s a free country. What I’m saying is that if you claim you are a conservative and have someone truly disgusting on your show, and you proceed to tout them, praise them, and nod along to everything they say, you’re doing more than ‘platforming’ — you are becoming a propagandist for that person,” he continued.
During the appearance on “The Benny Show,” Habba had greeted Tate asserting herself as “a big fan” and argued of the man accused of sexual abuse of minors, “I think that your anger is the same that President Trump has for our country, and the time is now for us to stop being wimps.”
“There is literally one person with the same amount of anger and fire. That’s probably me and President Trump. But it’s because you love what’s right and you’re being under siege. And I see it and just keep fighting,” she went on. “I mean I’m here for it!”
Shapiro went on to refer to Tate as an “evil con artist” and a “self-professed pimp” while likening the dual U.S. and British citizen to the ongoing “grooming gangs” scandal unfolding in the United Kingdom, “He literally made millions of dollars doing this thing.”
“A person who purports to stand for Biblical values, American values, and traditional values has a moral obligation to ask Tate hard questions about his actions, beliefs, and past — not help him falsely rewrite his legal record or ignore all he has actually said while nodding enthusiastically,” continued the commentator.
While the influencer was facing trial alongside his brother Tristan Tate for alleged human trafficking in Romania, after which the two were expected to be extradited to Britain where a warrant had been issued for their arrest, Shapiro wasn’t alone in speaking up.
Chris Loesch, the husband of syndicated radio host Dana Loesch, shared one of Tate’s takes on women as “sex workers” and wrote, “I think it’s pretty gross that a supposedly strong woman who will have an important [White House] job @AlinaHabba is a ‘big fan’ girl of a male who would say this about women just a couple weeks ago. Why would any Christian promote or defend him?”
Warning: Language
I think it’s pretty gross that a supposedly strong woman who will have an important WhiteHouse job @AlinaHabba is a “big fan” girl of a male who would say this about women just a couple weeks ago. Why would any Christian promote or defend him? pic.twitter.com/xkgr7vh9NV
— Chris Loesch (@ChrisLoesch) January 14, 2025
There’s a tendency on the right, just as on the left, to fall into a kind of groupthink where everyone parrots the views of the biggest influencers. Kudos to @benshapiro for breaking from that mold and having the courage to call out Andrew Tate: https://t.co/U73ba8CjQ5
— Matt Fradd (@RealMattFradd) January 13, 2025
Agreed. This guy is awful. The MAGA desire to own the libs and be all things masculine has caused a real blind spot here.
— Tom (@taporroJ113) January 13, 2025
Shocked is an understatement.
She for sure, doesn’t know their past.
Don’t morals, purity and virtue matter?
— Petey B (@realpeteyb123) January 10, 2025
It’s not that you had Tate on your show @bennyjohnson.
It’s that you didn’t provide any balance after @alinahabba made him into a hero.
The truth matters and character still counts.pic.twitter.com/nn7JgZA44V
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) January 11, 2025
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