Tom Tillis

“The first thing you do for them is say, guys, you got to get your act together on all of your platforms with respect to child safety and other kinds of bad outcomes... I have no problem incidentally, with having significant Australia-like controls on people under 16 using the internet.”

Advocates for strong, specific regulations for tech platforms regarding child safety, including strict age restrictions similar to Australia's, which is a highly debated topic impacting privacy and access.

Tom Tillis

“If we double down on something that deals us a loss in November, whoever is suggesting that should by no means be the next nominee for president of the United States for the Republican Party.”

This quote offers a direct challenge to the Republican Party's potential future strategy and leadership, linking electoral success to future nominations and advocating for accountability.

Tom Tillis

“Shareholders should also know that they want to be aligned with companies that are responsible and addressing some of the negative outcomes that, but for these platforms, would have never existed.”

This statement challenges the traditional view of shareholder responsibility, arguing for an ethical alignment that considers the societal impact and negative externalities created by tech platforms.

Tom Tillis

“The evaporation of independent support. The only independent voters that are supporting us right now are the ones who are right of the most extreme MAGA movement. They're the only ones that'll support us because they got nowhere to go. But that's a fraction of the independent base. For the most part, 80-85% of the independent base, they're either going to stay at home or they're going to vote for what they consider to be an alternative.”

This is a candid and critical internal assessment from a Republican about their party's struggles with independent voters, highlighting a significant political challenge.

Tom Tillis

“First and foremost, we got to preserve the filibuster. That will destroy bipartisanship forever if we do it.”

This quote argues that preserving the filibuster is essential for bipartisanship, presenting a controversial stance that suggests its removal would exacerbate political division.

Tom Tillis

“I don't think that the young right described in the way that you did is any greater than the young left.”

This quote challenges the narrative of radicalization being a one-sided issue, sparking debate about political extremism across the spectrum.

Tom Tillis

“What I've been here when Washington was completely controlled by Democrats, I saw the same behavior. Let's not pretend like questioning the president or failing to question the president, is this new thing under Trump? I saw it under Biden, I saw it under Obama. So let's be real.”

This quote challenges the narrative that a lack of internal party checks and balances is a unique phenomenon, asserting it's a recurring issue across multiple administrations.

Tom Tillis

“There's a equal amount of dumbness at either end of the political spectrum.”

This quote offers a blunt, non-partisan critique of political discourse, suggesting intellectual failures are distributed across the ideological spectrum.

Tom Tillis

“You got a prosecutor insisting a crime occurred in spite of the fact that the majority, everybody who's spoken on the issue, said no crime occurred. Until that case is carried through, maybe more evidence comes up that they can convince me beyond two minutes of testimony... I will withhold my vote, which in committee means that it won't get reported out of committee.”

This quote reveals a politician's rationale for holding up a high-profile nomination due to an ongoing legal investigation, even if personally supportive of the nominee.

Tom Tillis

“This guy is a surfer. He's surfed into DC with Jeff Sessions and quickly surfs onto some other wave. Does anybody really believe that Stephen Miller's going to be the curator of the Trump Museum or the Trump library when we're done here? He's going to surf onto something else.”

It offers a cynical and memorable analogy to describe a political advisor's transient careerism and perceived lack of fundamental loyalty.

Tom Tillis