Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy argued on Wednesday night that children under 16 years old should not be using “addictive” social media platforms.
“This isn’t a Republican point or a Democrat point,” Ramaswamy said at the second GOP presidential debate in Simi Valley, Calif. “But if you’re 16 years old or under, you should not be using an addictive social media product, period.”
“This is something that we can both agree on,” he continued. “And we can revive both the mental health of this country while stopping the fentanyl epidemic.”
The conservative entrepreneur criticized social media platforms while addressing concerns about fentanyl smuggling across the U.S.-Mexico border. He pointed to the story of an Iowa teenager who died after purchasing percocet from Snapchat that was laced with fentanyl.
“I refuse to be a passive bystander, sitting in the White House like the hollowed-out husk of a current president we have,” Ramaswamy added. “We will step up and address this problem to stand for Americans and our children.”
However, his remarks drew a skeptical response from fellow GOP hopeful Nikki Haley, who could be heard asking in the background, “Why do you keep encouraging TikTok?” Ramaswamy joined the video-based social media app earlier this month.
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