Steven Crowder’s media company has taken CNN to federal court, accusing the network and production company Jubilee Inc. of ripping off his trademarked catchphrase for a televised town hall with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. The company, LWC Assets IP LLC, filed suit in federal court in Fort Worth over the alleged use of Crowder’s registered “Change My Mind” trademark and format during the October 14 event in Texas.
According to Bloomberg Law, Crowder’s IP company sued CNN and Jubilee, which helped produce the October 14 town hall, over their use of his Change My Mind format. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, alleges the town hall format was intentionally modeled after LWC’s Change My Mind series, as reported by Deadline. The suit also claims trademark counterfeiting and trademark dilution, and alleges that CNN and Jubilee’s use of the phrase could cause viewers to perceive an endorsement, sponsorship or affiliation where none existed.
What Happened Onscreen in Fort Worth
During the televised special, the words “change my mind” appeared on screen while Talarico debated Texas voters on abortion, data centers and Israel, per the Dallas Observer. The Fort Worth event paired Talarico, a Democratic Texas state representative now running for Senate, with audience members looking to challenge his positions on camera. Per CNN, Talarico arrived for the CNN and Jubilee town hall on Wednesday, October 14, in Fort Worth.
Crowder built his Change My Mind series around sitting behind a table displaying the slogan while debating controversial political topics, a format that made him more widely recognizable after a photo from the series went viral in 2018, according to Chron. Crowder joined Fox News as a contributor in 2009, and Chron reports he first used the Change My Mind slogan in October 2017 before registering it as a federal trademark in January 2020.
What the Lawsuit Is Asking For
LWC alleges that CNN and Jubilee deliberately exploited the Change My Mind trademark to advance Talarico’s Senate campaign and to profit off Louder With Crowder’s goodwill and viewership, Chron reports. The suit claims the unauthorized use constitutes infringement, false designation of origin and unfair competition. LWC asked the court to order CNN and Jubilee to stop using Change My Mind, seeking an injunction along with damages, profits tied to the use, a reasonable royalty, attorneys’ fees and court costs, according to Deadline.
Federal trademark law, under 15 U.S.C. § 1125, allows a person who believes they are or are likely to be damaged by the conduct at issue to bring a civil action, according to the United States Code. Crowder sued CNN and Jubilee on Monday, per Chron’s reporting, though a Justia docket search lists the case as filed on October 19, 2026 — the same Monday referenced by Chron.
A Disputed Defendant List
Chron’s reporting states that Talarico was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, and that his campaign did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment by Wednesday afternoon. CNN and Jubilee likewise did not respond to Chron’s request for comment by that time. The Dallas Observer separately reported that CNN did not respond to its own request for comment by Tuesday morning.
That account conflicts with messaging on Crowder’s own platform: the Louder With Crowder website states, “We Are Suing CNN, Jubilee, and James Talarico. Here’s Why,” naming Talarico alongside the network and production company. The two accounts do not agree on whether Talarico himself is a defendant, and no court filing was available to independently resolve the discrepancy.
Why the Timing Matters in the Senate Race
The lawsuit lands amid a historically expensive Texas Senate contest. More than $500 million has been spent on television ads in the race, according to AdImpact data cited by Axios, with a GOP-aligned PAC alone spending $131 million over 17 days backing Ken Paxton. Axios also reports that Talarico continues to hold a narrow lead in recent polls, within the margin of error, underscoring how closely watched the televised town hall format has become.
Crowder has drawn controversy well beyond the trademark dispute. He faced backlash over insults directed at Vox journalist Carlos Maza about his ethnicity and sexuality, Chron notes, and former employees of his have alleged workplace and sexual misconduct. Crowder also appeared in a video berating his then-wife while she was eight months pregnant, according to the same Chron report. None of those episodes are part of the trademark claims against CNN and Jubilee, but they form part of the public record Chron cited in profiling Crowder.
As of the available reporting, neither CNN nor Jubilee had issued a public response to the lawsuit’s allegations, and no court ruling had been reported on whether the Change My Mind mark was infringed.
