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Carl Higbie used his Newsmax FRONTLINE platform to make a clear, no-nonsense point: we shouldn’t reflexively cancel or purge voices on the right just because they’re controversial. In a recent segment Higbie candidly said he wouldn’t personally vote for Candace Owens while also acknowledging he’d welcome her vote — a blunt admission of political realism in an era of perfectionist purity tests. That pragmatism mattered coming from a host who’s made a career of calling out media hypocrisy and defending free speech on the right.
Higbie didn’t stop at electoral practicality; he warned viewers about a broader effort to manipulate public opinion, even invoking the language of psychological operations to describe Democratic messaging designed to erode trust in conservative leaders. That argument, sharp and unapologetic, accused the other side of using coordinated media campaigns to manufacture vulnerabilities and fracture support — a charge that cuts to the heart of why so many on our side feel besieged. Whether you agree with every word, it’s healthy for conservatives to hear someone telling us not to reflexively cancel when unity matters most.
The Owens angle is worth pausing over: Candace Owens has carved an unusual path in conservative media, moving from staunch Trump defender to a more critical posture on some foreign-policy choices, a shift she has publicly acknowledged as a source of embarrassment about prior endorsements. Her public break with elements of the MAGA orthodoxy and her high-profile departures from outlets have made her a lightning rod — loved by some, loathed by others — but she still draws attention and, crucially, votes. Conservatives ought to measure the difference between principled disagreement and the suicidal politics of purity.
For those of us who bleed red, white, and blue, Higbie’s stance is refreshing because it prioritizes results over ritualized virtue signaling. The conservative movement must remain a big tent for people who share core commitments like limited government, strong borders, and free speech, even if they’re loud or unconventional. Purging capable communicators because they make uncomfortable tactical decisions plays right into the enemy’s hands and shrinks our leverage in the fight for the country’s future. Opinions should be debated, not erased.
Make no mistake: the left’s weaponization of cancel culture and the mainstream media’s appetite for shaping narratives threaten ordinary Americans’ ability to hear a full range of ideas. Higbie’s call to resist cancellation isn’t a plea for cowardice or compromise on principle; it’s a clarion call for tactical unity and robust debate on the issues that actually move voters. If conservatives fracture into purity factions, we cede the field to those who are ruthless about using every institutional lever against us.
At a time when every vote counts and the media’s distortions can swing public sentiment overnight, pragmatic toughness beats performative sanctimony. Carl Higbie’s point — take the vote, keep the coalition, keep fighting — is a lesson in conservative survival and in the politics of winning without surrendering our values. Let’s be big enough to defend liberty, wise enough to build a winning coalition, and strong enough to call out manipulation when we see it.
