Krystal Ball is a prominent political commentator and co-host of the YouTube show "Breaking Points," which offers independent news and commentary.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chapter 1: Who is Krystal Ball and what is her background?
All right, welcome everybody. It is episode two of the Matt Jones Show. And for this episode, I thought I would bring on someone with ties to Louisville, Kentucky. I met this woman in Louisville many years ago when we tried to do a project and it was a lot of fun. Crystal Ball, she has been on everything from MSNBC to a number of different podcasts. She does Breaking Points with Crystal and Sagar.
I think I got that right.
um and has been on everything i mean she's been on every if there's a channel crystal you've been on it at some point about that joe rogan podcast you've been everywhere nice to have you on it's nice to see you matt it's a pleasure it wasn't that many years ago was it i don't know you know it does feel like it doesn't feel like that we used to go to lunch in louisville at the tie place on frankfurt avenue and argue about things and now we're 15 years later and here we are
Yep, indeed. It's a pleasure, and I'm honored to be guest number two. I didn't get the number one slot, but I'll take number two.
Well, yeah, Bomani was on my first one, so I decided to have him back again. Now, you do politics, but what I really like about you is even though you're on the left, like me, you come at things from a different perspective. So if somebody was to say to you, Crystal, explain your sort of political ideology in a short phrase, how would you explain it?
I mean, I would describe myself as populist left. So for me, you know, and a sort of economic analysis is really central to the way I view politics. And that doesn't mean that, you know, other things aren't important, that I don't focus on other things. Certainly right now in Trump 2.0, I'm focusing on a lot to do with deportations to due process and all those sorts of things as well.
But, you know, at my core, that's that's kind of where I come from. And, you know, it's it's informed by this. Another thing I think you and I both have in common, like You know, I'm from a rural area. I'm from an area that is much more conservative. So I think that has affected my political views of, you know, having that kind of outsider perspective, viewing things a little differently.
And then what was really formative for me was I lived in the industrial Midwest, very close to East Palestine, where there was that horrific train explosion, all of that, you know, in Ohio. And that area was completely decimated by this bipartisan agenda for NAFTA and for opening up permanent normal trade relations with China. And it really was a bipartisan project.
And I saw the way that town after town there was just devastated and the impact that had on people's lives. And so that really kind of opened up my eyes to the political system and has made it so even though I'm definitely on the left, there's no doubt about that. You know, I tend to vote for, you know, I vote for Democrats because they're more aligned with my view than others.
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Chapter 2: What is Krystal Ball's political ideology?
then that is going to create a large amount of political power. I think Trump has understood that perhaps better than anyone else. And listen, the other thing, Matt, He's freaking funny. Like, I wish he wasn't so damn funny. You think that's a big part of it?
The fact that he gets up there and it's like an entertainment show. I mean, he is a television. He has been in the public spotlight since the 80s, primarily as a figure of entertainment, even when he was a business person. And he just knows how to entertain, right?
He knows how to tell a story. I mean, he gets up there. He told that story about his fat friend who's a businessman.
Yeah, he just got up and said, my friend is fat. And a lot of people go, you know what? My friend is fat, too. And that's kind of like, it's amazing. By just using normal language, Crystal, that everyday people do, they don't hear politicians talk like that. But that's how they talk.
I think comedy is a superpower. I think that's something you benefit from as well because you're a very funny person too, just naturally. And you see these comedians who have these giant podcasts now who are really influential, the Tim Dylans, the Joe Rogans, the Theo Vons of the world.
And so I do think if you are just a funny, genuinely funny person, you also get away with a hell of a lot more than anyone else. And I think that's one of his secrets of success as well.
You mentioned those guys on the podcast. I think in 2024, the sort of bro-sphere podcast did make some level of difference. Whether or not they made a huge difference will maybe never really been known. But those guys you mentioned, I think Rogan, Theo Vaughn, Portnoy, that crew... I think did make a difference. So that has led to people going, well, how do we get to have a liberal Joe Rogan?
And I've had people sort of reach out to me as like, can you do you think you could be the liberal Joe Rogan? And I said, you know, I don't I don't know that it works that easily. Do you think it's ridiculous or do you think there is there should be a reach out by Democrats to find someone who can speak to, quote unquote, bro culture?
I mean, I don't think that it's something that can just be like crafted in a lab, you know? I mean, you have the audience that you have because that's organic to you. If some billionaire had approached you out of nowhere and it's like, we're going to make the bro pod.
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Chapter 3: How does Krystal Ball view the current political landscape?
maybe the most unpopular thing that he did, I do have some feeling that those things, which I agree, you hit the exact three things I thought were most scary, all got pushed back. That's something to be confident about, right?
That's that's right. And I do think so with the tariffs, you know, I think that the bond market in particular freaked Trump out and he really has walked back. Now, that doesn't mean we still have 30 percent tariffs on China. That's a lot. Think of how much five percent inflation hurt people. And you're talking about 30 percent on China, 10 percent on everything else.
They're talking about imposing even greater percentages to get like. There is going to be economic fallout and it will hit working class people the hardest. This will amount to a tax hike. Soon.
Do you think it will be soon? Like in the next little bit? Yes.
Yes, absolutely. There's no doubt that there will be some economic fallout. How great? I don't think anyone can really say. So I don't want to downplay it, but I do agree that in those three areas, he has been sort of chastened. The tariffs, we're not going back to 145% tariffs on China. That's not happening. Whatever his plan was there, I personally think the plan with tariffs is just...
He likes power. This makes him every company have to come to him. Every country have to come to him. And he loves that. I think that's really what the tariffs are all about. But, you know, we're not going back to the most maximalist position there. I don't think on the deportations they're going to try more things. And, you know, I think we have to be leery.
You've got them out there saying, hey, we might just suspend habeas corpus. But you do have at least the courts kind of checking them. The the overall immigration policy is now way more unpopular. And, you know, so I think that the most maximalist aims there have also been maybe somewhat checked. And so and Elon has, you know, basically.
done um he came out today political giving yeah not trump right yeah i mean he i don't know anyone that doesn't think he's a complete weirdo now like he you talk about a dude who just set his personal image on fire right yeah oh yeah absolutely do you think he realizes that was a mistake
He set his political power on fire too when he threw all in on this Wisconsin Supreme Court race and he lost. And Doge is a laughingstock. And here's again where you have to hold two thoughts in your mind. Doge should not save anyone any money. Actually, I think it's going to cost money because when you're talking about gutting the IRS, that means guess what?
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