MAGA podcaster Steven Crowder is threatening to sue CNN, Jubilee, and Texas Senate candidate James Talarico over a town hall that he claims ripped off his popular “Change My Mind” series.
The right-wing commentator announced the planned legal action Thursday after CNN and Jubilee used the same phrase for a town hall featuring Talarico speaking face-to-face with undecided voters.
“We are filing a lawsuit,” Crowder declared on his “Louder with Crowder” show, according to a statement shared by journalist Justin Baragona on X. “Just so you know, I’m not a litigious person,” Crowder continued. “We have been ripped off many times, but this is so egregious.”
The Dispute
The dispute centers on Crowder’s “Change My Mind” series, which became an internet sensation through his confrontational debates with students on college campuses. Crowder accused CNN and Jubilee of hijacking his branding to help Talarico appeal to conservative voters.
“I don’t want our trademarked brand, logo and format to be used for James Talarico to associate and ingratiate himself with right-wing voters,” Crowder said.
The Political Context
Talarico, a Democratic state representative, is running against Republican Ken Paxton in a Texas Senate race considered a toss-up and a key target for Democrats. The town hall format was designed to reach undecided and conservative voters — the same audience Crowder has built his brand around.
Crowder went further, accusing the network and its partners of using his phrase for political purposes. “Once you rip it off and use it for propaganda, I now have a problem, and I have to come for everything!” he said.
The Bottom Line
Steven Crowder is threatening to sue CNN, Jubilee, and Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, claiming a town hall copied his “Change My Mind” format. Crowder says the network used his trademarked brand to help Talarico appeal to conservative voters. CNN and Jubilee have not responded publicly to the threat.
My Opinion
Steven Crowder built his career on a simple premise: sit at a table with a sign that says “Change My Mind,” invite people to debate him, and film the results. It worked. It made him famous, and now he is threatening to sue because someone else used a similar format.
Let us be honest about what this is. “Change My Mind” is not a patented invention. It is a phrase. It is a setup. It is a style of political engagement that Crowder popularized but does not own. If CNN and Jubilee put James Talarico at a table with undecided voters and called it a town hall, that is not theft. That is competition.
Crowder’s real complaint is not legal. It is political. He does not want his brand associated with a Democrat. He does not want Talarico using his format to reach conservative voters. That is a branding concern, and it is a little rich coming from a man whose entire career is built on provoking people and calling it comedy.
If Crowder wants to sue, let him sue. But he should be honest about why. This is not about protecting intellectual property. It is about protecting a brand that he fears is being used against him.
