Trae Crowder, the comedian and self-proclaimed ‘liberal redneck,’ has spoken at length about how the economic and social collapse in rural Tennessee, driven by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the opioid crisis, contributed to the shift of Southern working-class voters to Donald Trump. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Crowder recounted his upbringing in Celina, Tennessee, where his father ran a local video store and his mother fell victim to the opioid epidemic. The Oshkosh B’Gosh factory, a cornerstone of the town’s economy, closed in the 1990s due to NAFTA, leading to a chain reaction of business closures and economic despair. The opioid crisis arrived at the same time, amplifying the town’s suffering. Crowder noted that the combination of job losses and the rise of prescription drug addiction devastated his hometown, leading to a deep-seated sense of betrayal among Southern voters.
Though skeptical of Trump’s policies, Crowder acknowledged the real-estate mogul’s appeal to those left behind by previous administrations. He pointed to the Democratic Party’s failure to address the needs of rural working-class Americans as the root cause of the shift in Southern political allegiances. The comedian criticized the party’s perceived elitism and disconnection from rural communities, which he said left many working-class voters feeling abandoned. Crowder’s remarks come as part of a broader conversation about the role of trade policy, healthcare, and economic inequality in shaping political sentiments in rural America. As his comedy special