Podcast Summary: Louder with Crowder

Episode: Is Trump About To Start A War?

Date: October 22, 2025
Host: Steven Crowder
Guests: Mark, Josh Firestone

Overview

This episode of "Louder with Crowder" takes on the provocative question: "Is Trump about to start a war?" Steven Crowder, with his signature blend of political analysis and irreverent comedy, dives into breaking news around Trump administration military actions, critiques government welfare programs (particularly SNAP), and provides a fact-checking segment targeting Jon Stewart’s recent claims about Donald Trump’s alleged “king-like” behavior. The show features pointed rants, lighthearted banter, and a heated debate over government policy, with a focus on fact-based rebuttals and satirical observations.

Table of Contents

1. Opening Commentary and Tone
2. SNAP Benefits Controversy
3. Fact-Checking Jon Stewart’s "Trump is a King" Claims
4. Venezuela, Drug Boats & War Debate
5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
6. Timestamps for Key Segments

Opening Commentary and Tone

• Crowder kicks off with news that this episode will be a “fact-checking extravaganza,” promising to debunk recent viral claims about Donald Trump, critiques of welfare (SNAP), and Libertarian stances on military action.

• Comedy bits: Lighthearted skits and jokes throughout, including rants about refinancing phone calls, “racist Swedish chef” sketches, and recurring anti-libertarian jabs.

  “Today is a fact-checking extravaganza, if I may use the term—and I don’t like to because it’s gay—but going to fact check.” (01:15, Crowder)

SNAP Benefits Controversy

Context & Critique

• Background: SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), formerly food stamps, is facing funding threats amid a government shutdown. Crowder and the team frame the looming cutbacks as a key cultural and political issue.
• Crowder’s Argument:
  • Criticizes the evolution of SNAP from a support program to a perceived “entitlement.”
  • Highlights statistics: $145 billion/year spent, with $9 billion/year going to sugary drinks—the top SNAP grocery item (14:06).
  • Emphasizes that SNAP recipients spend double the average grocery bill compared to non-SNAP users.
  • Suggests recipients not contributing (i.e., not paying taxes) shouldn’t have voting rights:

    “Throughout all of human history, unless you were a contributor, you didn’t get to vote on the resources contributed from those who actually, you know, were of value to society.” (09:00, Crowder)

Viral Reactions & Public Sentiment

• Crowder plays clips from social media of people threatening to steal if SNAP is cut, critiquing what he calls an “entitlement mentality.”
• Discussion on fake viral clips, notably "the loopy blogger," reinforcing the need for fact-checking even among right-leaning accounts.
  • “It’s clearly a parody … but it’s so close to what you think some of the opinions might actually be. It was hard to tell the difference sometimes.” (19:10, Josh Firestone)
• Solution proposed by Crowder: Taxpayers should be the only ones voting; voting should require proof of taxpaying, gainful employment, passing a civics test, and eligibility for the draft (20:40 – 23:40).

Fact-Checking Jon Stewart’s "Trump is a King" Claims

Stewart’s King Allegations

• Stewart’s Satirical Bit: Lays out alleged “kingly” behaviors by Trump, based on the Declaration of Independence (25:34).
  1. Deploying armies against citizens in peacetime
  2. Cutting off trade with all parts of the world
  3. Obstructing justice
  4. Exciting domestic insurrections

Crowder’s Line-by-Line Rebuttal

• Standing Armies Claim:

  • National Guard deployment is legal under Title 10; ICE attacks up 1000% justify intervention.
  • “Of course the President can deploy the National Guard against violent criminals and illegals … It is well within his authority.” (27:16, Crowder)

• Cutting Off Trade:

  • No country, not even North Korea, has seen U.S. trade fully cut off—$600,000 even traded with North Korea in 2025.
  • Tariffs are about trade rebalance, not isolationism; even Biden kept Trump’s tariffs on China. (33:01)
  • “We haven’t stopped trading with a single country. Not one.” (31:00, Crowder)

• Obstructing Justice:

  • Crowder asserts the left obstructs justice through nationwide injunctions—67% against Trump since 2000, 92% from Democrat-appointed judges.
  • Cites Biden ignoring Supreme Court on student loans, eviction moratorium. (36:13–37:00)

• Domestic Insurrections:

  • January 6th was not a Trump-called insurrection, Crowder insists, as Trump called for peaceful protest.
  • Compares J6 to left-wing violence (inauguration protests, George Floyd riots, autonomous zones). (38:19–40:55)
  • “If you want to blame anyone as far as the results, well, Pelosi would tell you to blame her.” (39:18)

Media Double Standards

• Criticism of Jon Stewart and left-leaning media for shallow, performative critiques (using Declaration of Independence for a comedy bit) and lack of real engagement when interviewing leftist politicians (e.g., Bernie Sanders).

Venezuela, Drug Boats & War Debate

Is Trump About to Start a War?

• Backdrop: U.S. (under Trump) has authorized CIA and military strikes against Venezuelan narco-terrorist operations.
• Crowder’s stance: Supports aggressive action against Venezuela, arguing it’s a narco state exporting drugs and crime to the U.S.
  • “The more powerful they are, the more at risk you are … Just don’t like them. I just don’t want them to exist and I have a vote. Is that enough?” (56:13, Crowder)

Rand Paul's Libertarian Dissent

• Rand Paul's argument: Warns that targeting suspected drug boats without due process sets a dangerous precedent, even for non-Americans at sea (62:11+).
  • “We have dangerous people in a lot of American cities, but we just don’t go in and shoot them … and even on the high seas, it’s been that way for generations.” (62:11, Rand Paul)
• Critique: Crowder and guests say this argument is outdated and inconsistent, given Paul’s past defense of Obama’s strikes on terrorist targets without trial (67:38).
• Concludes libertarian consistency is lost in 21st-century geopolitics.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On SNAP and Welfare Culture

• “You’re going to give us free crap even if we’re perpetually unemployed or we’re going to commit a felony? … At what point do you think people get fed up enough?” (13:13, Crowder)
• “Supplement nutrition, supplemental nutrition, Sprite.” (14:06, Crowder)

Fact-Checking Jon Stewart

• “Everything Jon Stewart, everything he presents is factually incorrect. It’s time for claim truth.” (26:40, Crowder)
• “We haven’t stopped trading with a single country. Not one … even with North Korea.” (31:07, Crowder)

On Libertarianism

• “Libertarianism doesn’t work. We now know. I would sort of file it under, like, the left’s ideas. Okay? They’ve been tried. They don’t work.” (53:34, Crowder)
• “It’s always a good time to talk about saving some money. I can get you up to nine, nine and a half percent easy.” (2:24, Mark, as parody refinancing caller)

On the Venezuela War Debate

• “These aren’t just random boats heading to the Caribbean. According to the United States Coast Guard, traffickers have moved to faster vessels … propelled by high powered outbound board engines.” (65:11, Crowder)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• SNAP segment begins: 08:35
• Social media/entitlement montage: 11:10
• “Taxpayers only” voting proposal: 20:49
• Fact-checking Jon Stewart segment: 24:33
  • Standing Army / Nat. Guard discussion: 27:03
  • Trade/tariff rebuttal: 30:59
  • Obstruction of justice segment: 36:13
  • Domestic insurrection/J6 debate: 38:10
  • Bernie Sanders/Stewart interview critique: 40:55
• Venezuela, drug boats & "war" discussion: 53:34
  • CIA strikes, Maduro, narco state discussion: 56:13
  • Rand Paul’s objection, Crowder's critique: 62:11
  • Consistency and libertarianism critique: 66:55

Conclusion

This episode delivers biting social and political commentary anchored in the conservative/anti-welfare, pro-law enforcement worldview. Crowder and his team lampoon leftist opponents and libertarians through a mix of statistics, gallows humor, and rapid-fire fact-checking—consistently urging listeners to question mainstream narratives and viral internet content. The recurring theme is a call for responsibility, self-reliance, and skepticism toward both welfare dependency and superficial media "analysis."