# Why Crowder says he changed his mind on trade

Markdown copy of https://realalpha.app/s/why-crowder-says-he-changed-his-mind-on-trade/ on Real Alpha, the best minutes from long interviews with the people building AI. Cite and link the page, not this copy.

- Speaker: [Steven Crowder](https://realalpha.app/people/steven-crowder/) · Steven Crowder is a comedian and political commentator. · Created and hosts Louder with Crowder, a daily political show featuring the recurring “Change My Mind” segment.
- Host: [Konstantin Kisin](https://realalpha.app/people/konstantin-kisin/) · TRIGGERnometry
- Host: [Francis Foster](https://realalpha.app/people/francis-foster/) · TRIGGERnometry
- Show: TRIGGERnometry
- Episode: [Steven Crowder: "80% the Next President is a Democrat"](https://realalpha.app/v/Dtjhtm_TW2E/), Nov 4, 2026
- Moment: 25:14 to 27:59 of the episode (3 min), playing on https://realalpha.app/s/why-crowder-says-he-changed-his-mind-on-trade/; the episode from there: https://realalpha.app/v/Dtjhtm_TW2E/?t=1514

## Quote

> “I don't believe in economic protectionism, but I do believe in **equalizing the playing field**.”
> — [Steven Crowder](https://realalpha.app/people/steven-crowder/) at [26:26](https://realalpha.app/v/Dtjhtm_TW2E/?t=1586) · TRIGGERnometry

## Takeaways

1. Crowder says free trade looked fairer to him when he was younger.
2. He cites barriers on US dairy, beef, steel and lumber.
3. He favors equalizing trade barriers, not economic protectionism.

## About this segment

Steven Crowder says he moved from free-trade instincts toward tariffs that counter other countries’ barriers, citing Canadian dairy, beef and steel. He frames that as leveling the field, not protectionism.

From “Steven Crowder: "80% the Next President is a Democrat"”, Nov 4, 2026. [Watch the full episode](https://realalpha.app/v/Dtjhtm_TW2E/)

## Transcript

Transcribed by machine (Whisper) from the episode’s audio, so a word may be off here and there.

[25:22](https://realalpha.app/v/Dtjhtm_TW2E/?t=1522) And the truth is, I'm probably more racist. And by that, I mean the left's definition. I don't think that everyone can be an American. I don't think that all cultures are equally compatible. And the other thing is definitely trade. Because, you know, I was raised in that sort of libertarian era where I thought, all right, yeah, trade is a great thing because, okay, it raises all boats, great. And then I realized it wasn't fair.

[25:47](https://realalpha.app/v/Dtjhtm_TW2E/?t=1547) Then I realized that the tariffs were being put on us in other countries, and it was really the take advantage of the United States Club. I mean, if you look at the, when people talk about Canada and the tariffs, you know, my silly, I mean, I've renounced my citizenship on the show. I don't know how I do it officially, but it's such a silly, unserious country and a potential national security threat.

[26:04](https://realalpha.app/v/Dtjhtm_TW2E/?t=1564) We should invade them. But I'm not joking. I absolutely think we should just seize complete control of their border because if you close up the border to the south and Canada does nothing, guess what? You still have a problem. So if you look at, you're like, well, wait a second. These were retaliatory tariffs because you had tariffs depending on the tier up to in the hundreds of percentages. against American dairy, beef, steel, whatever it is, lumber.

[26:26](https://realalpha.app/v/Dtjhtm_TW2E/?t=1586) Why? Well, because if they didn't do that, they would have no industry and they'd be importing from the United States. So that's one where I've changed my mind, where I don't believe in economic protectionism, but I do believe in equalizing the playing field. Now, I would say that's maybe not the closed-handed issue. The closed-handed issue, I think, that Donald Trump has really changed or made a closed-handed issue is immigration.

[26:47](https://realalpha.app/v/Dtjhtm_TW2E/?t=1607) I think people became very aware of the problem, and that's why the left had to accelerate it. And then I think something that's really important is he's been a lightning rod in highlighting the media bias, in highlighting the culture of compelled language in a way that no other candidate would or could. That's something that I think has changed quite a bit. And I think that will be continued and carried over and expected of whoever the next candidate is, because everything is downstream from culture.

[27:12](https://realalpha.app/v/Dtjhtm_TW2E/?t=1632) That's what when people say, people go, oh, these people want you distracted with culture wars. Well, what brought Jordan Peterson into the fold, and he wouldn't identify as conservative, was compelled language, C-16. If you tell people, hey, you have to use these pronouns, you have to now agree with this gender ideology, they don't want to have a conversation to the left. They want to own the dictionary.

[27:32](https://realalpha.app/v/Dtjhtm_TW2E/?t=1652) And they want to put you in jail if you don't follow it. And they were on their way. So I don't see those as minor cultural issues. I see those as far more forming of the society we live in than tariffs. But both are important. One is closed-handed. it and i was watching your content and i advise people to go and watch it it's really great really