I’m a conservative and a believer in free markets — always have been. But free markets don’t mean anything goes. They mean competition where hard work, innovation, and good service win out. When two giants merge and start running the whole show, that’s not capitalism anymore. That’s called a monopoly, which usually leads to consumers paying more for less.
Vice President JD Vance put it plainly at a recent Turning Point USA event: “When you have one or two companies dominating an entire sector, it’s bad for liberty and it’s bad for prosperity.” He’s exactly right. Once competition disappears, so does accountability, and consumers end up paying higher prices and receiving worse service.
That’s what’s at stake right now with the proposed merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads. Four railroad companies already control 90% of U.S. freight traffic, and this deal would greatly worsen the problem. The merger would give one company enormous power over how our goods move from coast to coast, especially the things that keep America running: crops, energy, manufactured goods, and everything in between. That’s why, just days ago, a bipartisan coalition of 18 senators sent a letter raising questions about the proposed deal.
RESTORING AMERICA: TRUMP CAN MAKE BIG TECH GREAT AGAIN
This merger wouldn’t just hurt American producers — it would give foreign competitors an edge. The UP-NS deal favors intermodal container shipments that can still pivot to trucking, while U.S. manufacturers moving chemicals, grain, steel, and other bulk commodities would be locked into one railroad and pay more. The result? Foreign-made goods in containers will have better options to move across America than products made by our own workers.
It’s a slap in the face to U.S. manufacturers who depend on rail to get their goods to market. Higher costs, fewer choices, and worse service for American businesses — all while foreign competitors get a boost. That’s not America First. That’s America Last.
As the vice president’s own comments make clear, mergers of this kind are not in line with an America First agenda. They don’t strengthen our economy; they hollow it out. They don’t help working Americans; they hurt them. And they certainly don’t serve the farmers, shippers, and small businesses that helped propel President Donald Trump, the vice president, and this administration back into power.
When there’s only one railroad serving your region, farmers can’t shop around for better rates to move their grain. Manufacturers can’t negotiate better shipping terms. And small businesses — the economic backbone of this country — get boxed out while a few executives thousands of miles away set the prices and call the shots. That’s not how America is supposed to work.
I’m not arguing for more government control or socialism. I’m arguing for the kind of capitalism that everyday workers and citizens would recognize: open competition, where everyone has a shot. Markets only work when no one is too big to fail, and no one is too powerful to be challenged. If this merger goes through, the market won’t be freer. It will be smaller, tighter, and more stacked against the people who actually make and move America’s products.
REPUBLICANS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM RECOIL AT TRUMP’S 50-YEAR MORTGAGE PROPOSAL
America’s rail system is part of our national heritage. It helped build this country. But it only worked because there was competition, innovation, and a sense that if you worked hard, you could make your mark. That spirit disappears when the game is rigged from the top down.
We can support capitalism and still say no to monopolies. We can back business without letting one massive conglomerate box out everyone else. As real conservatives know, when competition dies, liberty isn’t far behind.
Steve Cortes is president of the League of American Workers and senior political adviser to Catholic Vote. He is a former senior adviser to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance and a former Fox News commentator.
