Louder with Crowder – "End All SNAP Benefits | Change My Mind"

Date: November 17, 2025
Main Theme:
Steven Crowder hosts a live “Change My Mind” discussion at the University of Oklahoma, centering on the controversial stance of abolishing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The episode features interactions with university students, including an in-depth exchange with a Cherokee student and a lighter, tangential conversation with a local furry. The podcast explores SNAP’s shortcomings, questions about government aid, rural poverty, personal anecdotes, and the cultural perceptions of welfare and alternative communities.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Opening Rant: SNAP and Obesity

• Crowder opens (00:00) with statistics comparing obesity rates between low-income women on SNAP (57%) and those not on SNAP (40%), arguing that the program is ineffective and enables unhealthy choices.
  • "Working class Americans with kids not on SNAP struggling, are paying to make other people fatter. How can we have a country with that?" – Steven Crowder (00:06)
• He passionately contends that SNAP should be strictly temporary and limited to bare essentials.

2. Government Priorities and Spending Debates

• Participants quickly move to broader government spending, debating if cutting SNAP is justified when large sums are sent in foreign aid (notably Israel and Ukraine).
  • "We're giving like 3 to 4 billion to Israel, which we should stop, but over 100 billion a year on SNAP." – Steven Crowder (03:26)
  • Crowder dismisses the argument as a distraction, noting SNAP spending dwarfs foreign aid.

3. SNAP Recipients: Stereotypes and Realities

• A recurring theme is the stereotype of SNAP users misusing benefits, with Crowder citing examples like buying caviar and candy.
• One participant questions the fairness, noting many on SNAP are single mothers and children, challenging Crowder on possible hypocrisy given Crowder’s own (discussed) family situation.
  • Crowder pushes back, refusing to discuss his personal life as it relates to policy:
    "I think it's potentially interesting that you believe things that you see in the media and have no idea as a situation that she is. You think she's on SNAP and ex-wife, but I'm not allowed to discuss it because that's the mother of my children." (05:44)

4. Change My Mind: Carter, the Cherokee Student

Main Segment: Carter’s Perspective

• Timestamp: Begins around 07:01
• Carter (Cherokee student): Offers a firsthand account of food insecurity in poor, rural, Native American communities in Oklahoma. Highlights dependence on SNAP due to scarce, low-wage work.
  • "I'm a Cherokee citizen... Even with Cherokee Nation, we still depend on SNAP... because it's a very rural, very small town. And we have a lot of small jobs that pay minimum wage, so people are not able to afford rent and eat." – Carter (08:09)
• Crowder responds with an argument that excessive, perpetual government support creates dependency, citing Native American reservations as examples of failed long-term aid:
  • "I would say that it's kneecapped and irreparably damaged the Native American community. I would say the Native American community has been handicapped." – Crowder (11:17)
• They debate whether SNAP makes communities stronger (Carter’s view) or leads to dependence (Crowder’s view).

Highlight: Soda and Junk Food Policy

• Crowder critiques that SNAP permits purchasing of unhealthy items (soda, caviar, candy), arguing no real reform is possible due to political resistance to restricting these options:
  • "If the government can't cut Coca Cola from SNAP, then we can't cut anything. Enjoy your debt." – Crowder (12:37)
  • Carter suggests removing soda and focusing on health, but not abolishing SNAP.

Consensus Reached

• After further debate, Carter somewhat concedes that stricter requirements and healthier basics may be a reasonable reform, admitting she was unaware of some SNAP abuses Crowder describes.
  • "I actually agree with you... starting from the ground up is very hard. I just hope there isn't a trickle down system to it." – Carter (17:05)
  • "I think you thought, man, someone who's struggling, who's getting bare essentials. I don't think you realize that people who can work, who choose not to are getting fatter on this." – Crowder (17:36)

Addressing Special Needs

• Carter raises concerns about people with mental illness; Crowder agrees help is warranted for the truly disabled but that current systems don’t distinguish enough.
  • "I do agree that we should help handicap veterans... if people are actually mentally handicapped... that they could use some help..." – Crowder (18:13)

5. Lighter Segment: Interview With Twistal, the Furry

Timestamp: Begins around 23:04

• Crowder invites Twistal (a student in a full furry costume) to the table, initially to discuss SNAP, but the conversation quickly veers to the furry subculture due to Twistal’s lack of opinion on SNAP.
• Furry Misconceptions:
  • "One of the biggest misconceptions about furries in general, that we think we're animals. I do not think I'm an animal. I know I'm a human." – Twistal (25:06)
  • "Furries generally do not just walk around this in their everyday life... I only wore it here today because I was asked." – Twistal (29:29)
• Crowder probes the overlap between furry culture and sexuality, LGBTQ+, and social (mis)perceptions.
  • "It's a pretty high number, isn't it?" [re: sexual component] – Crowder (26:52)
  • "I do know people that do have that side..." – Twistal (26:58)
• They discuss community, creativity, and the positive side of fandom, such as charity work at conventions:
  • "Furry conventions in general are actually one of the best things for local charities." – Twistal (38:41)
• Crowder closes the conversation noting he learned more nuance and commends Twistal for clarifying misconceptions.

6. Takeaways and Tone

• Crowder is combative, direct, and frequently irreverent, but notably patient during Carter’s segment, aiming for an open dialogue—though he clearly dominates airtime.
• Several moments juxtapose humor and seriousness, especially during furry discussion.
• Many students at the live event either agree with Crowder or do not engage directly on the central SNAP policy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On SNAP and Cultural Values:
  • "Should some Cherokee be able to get caviar on SNAP while the other person's eating canned ham? Does that seem right? No." – Crowder (16:18)
• On Government Overreach:
  • "You can't compromise with SNAP because you can't cut soda, right? There was a huge outcry of people going, 'that's a violation.' Hey, you can't determine what these people eat. Everyone deserves treats." – Crowder (13:25)
• On International Aid vs. Domestic Spending:
  • "It's less than a 50th [aid to Israel compared to SNAP]... You want Coca Cola, Go Buy it." – Crowder (03:41; 03:55)
• On Furry Stigma:
  • "Furries do not think that they're animals... I know I'm a human in the way God made me." – Twistal (37:33)

Timestamps for Significant Segments

• 00:00–01:14: Crowder’s opening and introduction of the SNAP debate.
• 07:01–21:00: Main conversation with Carter, covering rural poverty, Native American reliance on SNAP, reform ideas, and concessions.
• 23:04–39:32: Conversation with Twistal, the furry, covering subculture issues and community aspects.
• Throughout: Crowder references and reaffirms his core stance frequently.

Summary Table

| Timestamp | Topic | Main Voices | |:----------:|------------------------------------------------------|--------------------| | 00:00-01:14| SNAP, obesity, entitlement, opening exasperation | Crowder | | 07:01-21:00| Change My Mind with Carter (Cherokee student) | Crowder, Carter | | 23:04-39:32| Furry subculture, identity discourse | Crowder, Twistal |

Flow and Usefulness

The episode provides a platform for challenging and refining hardline positions on government assistance. Those unfamiliar with Crowder will find a mix of pointed satire, conservative critique, and genuine attempts at open debate. The contrast between Carter's lived experience and Crowder’s statistics-driven perspective highlights both the challenges and the limits of dialog on welfare. The sidetrack with Twistal showcases Crowder's performative irreverence but also a willingness to engage cultural outsiders directly.

For listeners interested in welfare policy, poverty, and cultural debates on government aid, this episode provides both a polemic and space for occasional nuance—but always filtered through Crowder’s combative lens.